The Nation August 30, 2011

Nigeria’s truly national newspaper

Doctor, three children die in Ibadan flood

Gaddafi’s son killed as family flees Libya

NEWS

Page 5

•Wife, children in Algeria

•Residents mourn as death toll hits 32

VOL. 7, NO. 1868 TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

NEWS

Pages 2&3 http://www.thenationonlineng.net

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

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Probe confirms al-Qaeda link in UN House attack Security agents arrest three suspects

ON MY HONOUR ...

Jonathan orders more security measures

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HREE suspects have been arrested over Friday’s suicide bombing at the UN House in Abuja.

The suspects, whose link with Al-Qaeda, the international terrorism organisation behind the September 9 attacks in the United States, has been established, were trained in Mali, Chad and Somalia, The Nation learnt.

The Boko Haram (Western education is a sin) sect has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing – a claim that seems shaky, following the arrests.

vened by the President yesterday in Abuja.

Besides the President, at the The development may force President Goodluck to drop Presidential Villa meeting his administration’s stick- were the Chief of Defence and-carrot approach to the Staff, the Minister of Interior, Boko Haram sect and other the Minister of State for Defence, the Minister insurgents.

Besides, new secu•Page 2 of Foreign Affairs, HOW the National Security measures are said to be underway AL-QAEDA rity Adviser, the Inspector-General of to keep Nigeria safe, Police, the Attoreven as the President WORKS ney-General of the is set to address Nigerians on the state of inse- Federation and some security curity and reassure all that chiefs.

A source, who pleaded not there is no cause for alarm.

News of the arrests was be named because of what he broken at the National Secu- described as the sensitivity of rity Council meeting con- the matter, said: “The secuFrom Yusuf Alli and Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

rity agencies confirmed the arrest of three suspects whose names were disclosed to members. They said they were still on the trail of more than five suspects.

“All the suspects are being detained. Some of these suspects confessed their link with Al-Qaeda and they said they have been undergoing training in Mali, Chad and Somalia.

“Their link with Al-Qaeda is worrisome and that is why we cannot afford to take things for granted again. The President has asked all secuContinued on page 4

FLOOD OF TEARS IN IBADAN

•Justice Musdapher taking the oath ... yesterday PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN

President to CJN: restore confidence in judiciary From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

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HE President may have agreed that the Judiciary is troubled.

Dr Goodluck Jonathan told Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Dahiru Musdapher to restore confidence in the judiciary, which has been wracked by infighting and public criticisms of the handling of the row between Court of Appeal President Isa Ayo Salami and former CJN Aloysius Katsina-Alu. The President also promised not to interfere with the operations of the judiciary. This is perhaps an allusion to his role in the controversy of Justice Salami’s suspension as Court of Appeal’s chief.

Jonathan approved the National Judicial Council’s recommendation that Justice Salami should go on suspension.

•AGONY OF A RESIDENT: Mr. Anthony Olanrewaju sitting on his damaged car in front of his flood-ravaged home Oke ayo Street, Odo-ona, Ibadan ... yesterday. MORE PHOTOGRAPHS AND STORIES ON PAGE 3.

PHOTO: FEMI ILESANMI

Continued on page 4

•POLITICS P13•SPORTS P15•PROPERTY P25•ENERGY P37•MONEYLINK P47

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

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NEWS ENDGAME IN LIBYA

Gaddafi’s family flees to Algeria

The hunt for the Gaddafi gang...

The leader Muammar Gaddafi DESPITE yesterday’s reports that a convoy of six black Mercedes cars had been spotted crossing into Algeria, Colonel Gaddafi’s home town of Sirte is a more obvious refuge. Sirte, 280 miles east of Tripoli and resolutely loyal, has both a civilian and military airport.

Rebel efforts to find him are focused here.

Less likely but possible hiding places are an as yet undiscovered underground bolthole in Tripoli or the deserts of the south.

•Son Khamis feared killed

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EMBERS of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi’s family were reported yesterday to have arrived in Algeria, the neighbouring country Libyan rebels have accused of supporting the ousted regime.

The report cited Algeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry as confirming the arrival of the family in the country. It did not immediately provide additional details or say whether Gaddafi himself was with the family.

The report said Safiya, Hammibal, Mohammed and Aisha are already in Algeria.

Rebel commanders said yesterday that Khamis, one of Gaddafi’s most feared sons, has been killed in an air strike 60 kilometres south of Tripoli.

He is said to have been in an armoured Toyota Land Cruiser when it was reportedly blasted by a missile apparently from a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Apache helicopter.

Sky’s chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, who was at the scene, said a man claiming to be his bodyguard confirmed that Khamis had died in the vehicle.

The explosion incinerated the 4x4 and was so intense it set nearby trees on fire, Ramsay said.

Also yesterday, intense battles raged on two sides of Sirte, the southern city that is the headquarters of Gaddafi’s tribe and his regime’s last major bastion. The rebels were consolidating control of Tripoli, the capital.

Despite effectively ending his rule, the rebels have yet to find Gaddafi or his family members — something that has cast a pall of lingering uncertainty over the opposition’s victory.

The Egyptian News Agency, MENA, quoting unidentified rebel fighters, reported from Tripoli over the weekend that six armoured Mercedes sedans, possibly carrying Gaddafi’s sons or other top regime figures, had crossed the border at the southwestern Libyan town of Ghadamis, into Algeria. But Algeria’s Foreign Ministry denied that report.

Ahmed Jibril, an aide to rebel National Transitional Council head Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, said if the report of Gaddafi relatives in Algeria is true, “we will demand that Algerian authorities hand them over to Libya to be tried before Libyan courts.”

Ahmed Bani, military spokesman of the council, said he was not surprised to hear Algeria had welcomed Gaddafi relatives. Throughout the six-month Libyan uprising, rebels have accused Algeria of providing Gaddafi with mercenaries to curb the revolution.

Earlier yesterday, Abdul-Jalil told senior NATO envoys meeting in the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar that Gaddafi can still cause trouble.

“Gaddafi is still capable of doing something awful in the last moments,” Abdul-Jalil told military chiefs of staff and other key de-

fence officials from NATO nations including France, Italy and Turkey.

“Even after the fighting ends, we still need logistical and military support from NATO,” he added.

NATO has been bombing Gaddafi’s forces since March under a United Nations mandate to protect Libyan civilians.

Rebels appear to have secured the capital after a week of fierce fighting in which they captured Gaddafi’s compound and then cleared loyalists holed up in the residential neighborhood of Abu Salim nearby.

Brother of the Libyan man convicted in the Lockerbie bombing said Abdel Baset al-Megrahi should not be returned to prison in the West because he is “between life and death” at his family’s home in the capital.

New York senators on August 22 asked the Libyan rebels’ transitional government to hold alMegrahi fully accountable for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103, which killed 270 people. Rebel leaders have said they will not extradite him.

The Scottish government released al-Megrahi in 2009, believing he would soon die of cancer.

He was greeted as a hero in Libya.

Outside Tripoli, Sirte is still a bastion of support and some have even speculated Gaddafi may have fled there. Rebels have been converging from the east and west on Sirte, 250 miles east of Tripoli, preparing to battle Gaddafi loyalists.

However, no fighting in Sirte itself has been reported yet and rebel leaders said they are trying to negotiate a peaceful surrender with local tribes to avoid further bloodshed.

Rebels said they want to take Gaddafi alive so they can try him in Libya.

Members of the National Transitional Council announced further steps to becoming an effective government. Suleiman Mahmoud alObeidi, the rebels’ deputy military chief, announced the formation of a 17-member committee to represent the 30 or local military councils he said had been set up in the country’s west.

The daughter Hana Gaddafi

The wife

MYSTERY surrounds Gaddafi’s adopted daughter. She reportedly died as a baby in 1986 when the US bombed Gaddafi’s Tripoli compound, but is thought to be pictured here at age 13. In recent weeks, a flurry of reports have claimed she is, in fact, alive and working as a doctor, in Tripoli. A certificate found by reporters in Gaddafi’s ransacked home this week shows that she apparently finished an English language course with the British Council in 2007. She was awarded an A grade.

She is likely to have fled the country months ago, along with other female members of the family.

Safia Farkash al-Barassi PERSISTENT rumours among security service sources say Gaddafi’s wife fled to London months ago and is living at a secret address on the outskirts of the capital. She is being guarded around the clock by a team of private security contractors led by a former member of the SAS. It is thought she came to London months before being added to the UN sanctions list in June.

Farkash, his second wife, has been married to Gaddafi for 40 years and is mother of six of his seven sons and one of his daughters. She controls a multibillion dollar fortune including 20 tons in gold reserves. Her daughter Aisha is thought to be with her.

The powerful son Seif al-islam Gaddafi THE best known of Gaddafi’s sons, who became embroiled in scandal last year over claims of plagiarism and outside help with his PhD thesis – about a democratic future for Libya – that saw him awarded a doctorate by the London School of Economics. Described by the International Criminal Court as “the most influential person” in Gaddafi’s inner circle, with “the powers of a de facto prime minister”.

He was reportedly captured by rebels last week, but hours later, he emerged on to the streets of Tripoli, grinning for the cameras. Has taken a hard line since the uprising began, repeatedly proclaiming his defiance in the face of rebel attacks.

Lockerbie bomber: al-Megrahi saga about to end after 23 years HE gate of the luxury mansion remained firmly shut. It was clear Abdelnasser al-Megrahi had no intention of letting anyone pass. The world would have to accept it was time to let go of his dying brother. A grim saga that began 23 years ago and 2,000 miles away was all but at an end.

A short distance away lay the cancer-ridden body of Abdelbaset alMegrahi, the man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. It was evident on Monday that the campaign for his extradition from Libya was effectively over.

Calls for his re-arrest from US senators, lawyers and relatives of the Lockerbie bombing appeared redundant given Megrahi’s condition, ap-

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parently close to death, filmed at the house on Sunday and broadcast around the world.

The scoop by CNN prompted a media stampede to the mansion in an upmarket suburb of Tripoli on Monday morning. Two dozen foreign journalists gathered outside in the hope of their own tour of the three-storey, white-walled property decorated with marble cladding, intricate Islamic carvings and green tiled turrets, watched by six security cameras.

More than once a wrought iron door swung open, offering a glimpse of garden, but then closed behind Abdelnasser al-Megrahi, one of 11 residents. Speaking in Arabic, the 53year-old former military man po-

litely deflected all requests to see his brother, answered questions and even joked about English football.

Asked about Megrahi’s condition, he replied: “He is very sick. The coma came two or three months ago.

Sometimes he speaks to his wife or mother, sometimes he is in a coma.

His life is in danger now.”

He reiterated that his brother had been without proper medical attention for several days. “Medicines have been stolen and we couldn’t get them. He did have professional doctors from Italy and Germany and England, but now there is no one, only the doctor here. “ He said the family had emailed a medical report to the Scottish government – with whom Megrahi is

obliged to be in regular contact – on Sunday and requested that it send medicine.

Abdelnasser al-Megrahi also insisted that his brother was not guilty of the Lockerbie bombing. “From day one I believed he was innocent.

The case was more political than a crime. There is no actual evidence.

The world knows my brother is innocent.”

He said Megrahi receives messages of support from Scotland and around the world and criticised the US for continuing to demand his extradition. “He was released by the court. He did not escape. The Americans are being too cruel. They don’t even respect him as human being because of his condition.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

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NEWS ENDGAME IN LIBYA

The soldier son Mutassim Gaddafi ARMY officer and security adviser to his father, he is still thought to be fighting the rebels. He once paid $1m for Beyoncé to perform at a private New Year’s party.

And in April 2009, he held talks with the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, in his role as Libya’s national security adviser.

His other brothers are all still at large: Hannibal, boss of Libya’s oil export business; Saadi, drug and alcohol abuser, one-time footballer, and the man who allegedly ordered the shooting of unarmed protesters in Benghazi; Muhammad, the eldest son who headed the state telecoms firm; and Khamis, who runs a special forces unit.

The convicted bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi THE whereabouts of the convicted bomber, released in 2009 on the grounds that he had only months to live, are unknown. He is not at his former address, and Scottish authorities admit they have lost contact with him. Some security experts believe a US special forces team may be in Libya searching for him. Nick Day, formerly of the Royal Marines and MI5, who set up Diligence Inc, a private intelligence company, said: “The CIA would have been flashing the cash, getting people to cooperate.” There is a pending indictment against Megrahi in a US district court, which, the Justice Department insists, is not superseded by Megrahi’s conviction in Scotland.

The alleged killer Abdulmagid Salah Ameri

WITHIN hours of the news that Ameri had been named in a new witness account as the possible killer of policewoman Yvonne Fletcher in 1984, the British Government was pledging to pursue the case “in every way we can”. But it is unclear whether even a friendly administration in Tripoli will be able to help close a murder investigation that started outside the Libyan embassy in St James’s Square, London. Scotland Yard detectives fear that Ameri may already be dead. Stories to this effect might be a ruse to shield him from justice but, in the chaos and blood-letting that has gripped Libya for months, Ameri has yet to be found.

• Culled from The Independent

Are embarrassing secret deals about to come out?

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OME European politicians and business leaders who struck, or facilitated, deals with the Gaddafi regime are anxiously waiting to hear if Tripoli’s abandoned ministries contain embarrassing documents or allegations. At least one figure is rumoured to have been paid £100,000 to make a single telephone call to Colonel Gaddafi to smooth a lucrative business deal.

Meanwhile, western banks could be complicit in corruption, claimed Robert Palmer, a campaigner at pressure group Global

Witness. He said: “What concerns us is the personal control that the Gaddafi family had over Libyan state assets. We’re worried that there is high risk that this money might have been abused for personal gain and that by taking this money, companies and banks might possibly have been complicit in that.”

He added: “The way our financial system is structured, it’s very easy to hide your identity and assets behind a web of shell companies and tax havens, trusts and private bank accounts.”

After the uprising, who leads Libya?

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HE National Transitional Council (NTC) has been recognised by more than 40 countries as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people after Col Muammar Gaddafi was ousted from power.

The core of the National Transitional Council (NTC) is made up of a variety of people, from former Gaddafi ministers to human rights lawyers who fought the previous regime.

The group is now trying to get people to return to work and foreign companies back into Libya to start drilling oil.

Below is a list of the senior NTC members: Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, NTC chairman Mr Abdel-Jalil was previously Col Gaddafi’s Justice Minister until he resigned in February following a trip to Benghazi to negotiate with rebel fighters.

While a part of Gaddafi’s government, who has a $400,000 (£245,000) price on his head from the Gaddafi regime, AbdelJalil was praised by Amnesty International (AI) for taking a “strong stance” against Gaddafi’s policy of arbitrary arrests and detention without trial.

Abdel Hafidh Ghoga He is the NTC vice-chairman and spokesman.

Ghoga, a human rights lawyer, was heavily involved in representing families involved in the Abu Salim massacre, an event at the heart of the anti-Gaddafi movement.

More than 1,000 people were estimated to have died at the prison in Tripoli, as Col Gaddafi attempted to erase his political opposition.

As spokesman, Mr Ghoga has been central to the campaign for United Nations (UN) support and the Non Allied Treaty Organisation (NATO) no-fly zone.

•al-Essawi

•Ghoga

Ali al-Essawi Ali al-Essawi, is another NTC member who previously served under Col Gaddafi. In January 2007, he became the youngest person to serve in the Libyan government when he was appointed as the Secretary in charge of Economy, Trade and Investment.

He resigned as ambassador to India in February in protest against Gaddafi’s regime and has been involved in foreign visits with Mr Abdel-Jalil, meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy as early as March.

Mahmoud Jibril While not officially the Prime Minister, Mr Jibril has been recognised as Libya’s representative by countries such as France, the United Kingdom (UK) and Turkey.

He served in Gaddafi’s government as head of the National Economic Development Board (NEDB).

Jibril oversaw everything from oil production-sharing deals with British Peroleum (BP), buying a share of Dutch-Belgian bank Fortis and purchasing 7.5 per cent of Italian football giants, Juventus.

Mr Jibril has called on police and the army to return to work, under the NTC, and rebel fighters to respect the rules of war.

Salwa al Dighaili Ms Dighaili, a lawyer based in Benghazi has been heavily involved in the Benghazi Bar Association’s campaign for legal reforms.

At the start of the campaign, she explained that the Arab Spring had encouraged the Libyan uprising. “After Tunisia and Egypt, we knew we could ask for more,” she told the Egyptian newspaper Al-masry Al-youm.

Ms Dighaili was part of the group that established the NTC.

•Jibril

•Abdel-Jalil

UK set to re-open embassy in Tripoli

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HE United Kingdom (UK) has begun the process of reopening its embassy in Tripoli, the Libyan capital.

Already, a team of British officials have arrived Tripoli, it was learnt yesterday.

The Foreign Office said its officials were sent to Tripoli to make preparation for the re-establishment of Britain’s diplomatic presence in the country.

The development came in the wake of efforts by the rebel-led National Transitional Council (NTC) to set up a post-Gaddafi government in the North African country.

The British Embassy had in February evacuated its officials from the country as violence escalated in the country.

The residence was looted and destroyed in May as part of a series of attacks on Western embassies in Tripoli.

A Foreign Office (FCO) spokesman said the move to re-establish the British Embassy reflected “recent military progress” against the Gaddafi regime.

“The Prime Minister announced on August 22 that the UK would establish a British diplomatic presence in Tripoli as soon as it is safe and practical to do so,” the spokesman said.

“A small FCO-led team, consisting of diplomatic and technical staff, is now on the ground in Tripoli as part of the preparations for that wider diplomatic presence.

“This reflects the recent military progress which means that some members of the NTC have already moved to Tripoli.

“We remain in regular consultation with the NTC about our plans.”

The spokesman added that no date had yet been set for the British Embassy’s opening, which would

depend on “political and security developments over the coming days”.

Despite the rebel march on Tripoli and the storming of Muammar Gaddafi’s compound, elements of his regime remain at large and continue to pose a threat to civilians.

The Ministry of Defence said reconnaissance patrols by Royal Air Force Tornado jets had spotted some of Gaddafi’s artillery “in action” West of Ras Lanuf, near As Sidrah, yesterday.

Maj-Gen Nick Pope, the Chief of the Defence Staff’s Communications Officer, said: “A combination of Paveway guided bombs and Brimstone missiles enabled our aircraft to destroy a BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, a heavy artillery piece in a gun emplacement, and a pick-up truck armed with a heavy weapon.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

NEWS Continued from page 1

•Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime greeting the Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of the bank of Industry, Ms Evelyn Oputu, during the inauguration of the Southeast zonal office of the bank in Enugu … yesterday

A

How Al-Qaeda works

FTER the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda (or alQa’ida, pronounced al-KYEda) surpassed the IRA, Hamas, and Hezbollah as the world’s most infamous terrorist organization. Al-Qaeda— ”the base” in Arabic—is the network of extremists organized by Osama bin Laden The death of bin Laden, who was killed in a joint operation

by U.S. troops and CIA operatives in May 2011, complicated the future of al-Qaeda.

Some speculated that the group will be emboldened and seek retaliation, while others wondered if it might founder without its supreme leader. In June, U.S. officials announced that after pouring

through the documents and computer files taken from bin Laden’s compound, they confirmed their assumption that al-Qaedain Afghanistan and Pakistan has been seriously weakened as a result of U.S. counterterrorism operations undertaken in Pakistan.

More than a month after bin Laden’s death al-Qaeda named Dr. Ayman alZawahiri, al-Qaeda’s theological leader, as its leader.

Bin Laden’s death was followed in June by the demise of another powerful, topranking al-Qaeda leader, Fazul Abdullah Mohammed.

He was the leader of al-Qaeda in East Africa and organized the U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in Au-

gust 1998. He was killed during a shootout at a security checkpoint in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Al-Qaeda has its origins in the uprising against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

Thousands of volunteers from around the Middle East came to Afghanistan as mujahideen, warriors fighting to defend fellow Muslims. In the mid-1980s, Osama bin Laden became the prime financier for an organiSation that recruited Muslims from mosques around the world.

These “Afghan Arab” mujahideen, which numbered in the thousands, were crucial in defeating Soviet forces.

Continued on page 7

He named Justice Dalhatu Adamu acting Court of Appeal President.

The popular thinking is that he should have stayed away from the matter since it was the subject of a legal dispute. The action drew protests from groups and individuals who felt the Presidency was leading its imprimatur to an illegality. But Dr Jonathan says the action was to prevent a vacuum in the court.

Musdapher’s nomination is awaiting the confirmation of the Senate, which is on recess.

Jonathan pledged that the executive will continue to positively engage the Judiciary and the Legislature so as to bring development to the country.

He said Justice Musdapher is assuming office at a very challenging time, not only for the judiciary but for the larger society, which looks up to the judicial arm of government as the impartial and courageous arbiter.

His words: “Given his rich antecedents and compelling experience, I am confident that he will be able to face up to these challenges and rekindle the people’s faith and confidence in the judicial process.

“On our part, I assure you that this administration is totally committed to upholding the tenets of the rule of law and independence of the judiciary. We shall continue to engage with the judicial and the legislative arms of government on the basis of mutual respect and productive engagements.

“I congratulate Hon. Justice Dahiru Musdapher on his deserved appointment as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria and I wish him a most successful and fulfiling tenure”.

Jonathan to CJN: restore confidence in judiciary The President praised former Justice Katsina-Alu, saying the nation owes him a debt of gratitude, “for providing effective and courageous leadership to the judiciary arm of government at the critical period in our nation’s political developmental history”.

“As he retires from active service, it is my hope that he will remain ready and willing to continue to avail the nation of his worthy attributes of courage, diligence, selfless service and common patriotism.

“On behalf of government and people of Nigeria, I wish him a retirement life marked with robust health, fulfillment and Almighty God’s enduring protection and provision,” the President said.

Justice Mustapher told reporters that he would do justice to all for the common good of the country.

“The downturn in the society has not left the judiciary alone, no doubt about it. God willing, we will do everything to ensure that things are better in the judiciary,” he said, adding: “We will face the challenge squarely and make sure that it becomes one of the best in the world.

“The delays in the dispensation of justice will be reduced to the barest minimum. We’ll make sure that we look at the procedural rules and all the laws and make suggestions for the amendment to the laws governing the procedures.”

On his appointment, Justice Musdapher said: “Well, it is the prerogative of the President. The Constitution is very

clear as far as I’m concerned it is the prerogative of the President to pick and choose anyone he wants from the justices of the Supreme Court or from anywhere else.”

Justice Musdapher will retire on July 15, next year when he is due to clock 70, the mandatory retirement age.

Justice Musdapher was born on July 15, 1942 in Babura Town, Jigawa State.

He attended Babura Elementary School (1950-53) Birnin Kudu Middle School (195456) Rumfa College, Kano (1957-62), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1963-64) University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (1964-67), Inns of Court School of Law (Middle Temple) (1964-67) and Nigerian Law School (1967-68).

Employment records: Private Legal Practice (1968-76), Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kaduna State (1976-78), Judge, High Court of Kano State (1979) are: Chief Judge, Kano State Judiciary (1979-85); Justice, Court of Appeal (1985-2003); Justice, Supreme Court of Nigeria (2003).

Honours: He was bestowed with the national honors of the Commander of the Order of the Niger, (CON) 2003 and Commander of the Federal Republic, (CFR) 2009.Some of the professional bodies in which he is a member of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Chairman, Body of Benchers, Vice Chairman, National Judicial Council, member World Jurists Association and Chairman, Nigerian Institute Advance Legal Studies.

Police chief Ringim assures diplomats of safety of lives

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ECURITY agencies have made some arrests over Friday’s United Nations (UN) building explosion that left 23 persons dead and scores injured, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Hafiz Ringim said yesterday.

Although he gave no details, Ringim said President Goodluck Jonathan would soon speak on the arrests.

Ringim spoke at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja yesterday.

While addressing over 50 diplomats, Ringim said security agencies and the IGP, in particular, had been mandated by the Presidency to meet with the diplomats on how to strengthen security around their personnel and facilities.

He said following the UN house blast, President Jonathan summoned security agencies’ Chiefs, “where farreaching decisions were made on how to ensure not only the security of foreign missions property and facilities but the envoys’ personal security as well.

“It is in that regard therefore, that I was asked to appear before you and try to explain some of the things that have happened and also government’s decision as far as security of yourselves and your missions are concerned.

“The meeting also discussed how we can further

Probe confirms al-Qaeda link in UN House bombing Continued from page 1

rity agencies to sit up.”

The meeting was also briefed on the identities of those behind the spate of bombings in the country. They are religious extremists, armed robbers and some thugs who are willing tools of some people,” said the source.

Responding to a question, another source said: “We decided on new security measures for the nation, both short term and long term. But there is going to be a major overhaul of our security system and apparatchik.

“The Council noticed a glaring disconnect among all security agencies and we took a decision that henceforth they must ensure that there is synergy in their operations.

“Security agencies have also been asked to tighten security nationwide to protect lives and property.

The source also claimed that the government observed that some aliens had taken advantage of the ECOWAS treaty on free movement to undermine the nation’s security.

The source said: “At the end, we reached a consensus that all aliens must undergo compulsory registration with biometric data or leave Nigeria.

“Nigeria will also keep biometric From Dele Anofi, Abuja

provide much more security than have been earlier provided in order to make your stay here as peaceful and meaningful as they are supposed to be.

data of all foreign nationals and monitor their activities accordingly.

“A Long Term National Security Strategy will take off from next year.

All the modalities are being worked out.”

On the disillusionment of Nigerians about security, the source said: “The President has realised that most Nigerians are disillusioned and he is going to address the nation to reassure all that the government is on top of the situation.”

Another source also confirmed that the President has told his security chiefs that the nation has had enough of stick-and-carrots method aimed at prevailing on Boko Haram sect members and other insurgents to sheathe their swords.

The Presidency source said: “The President is determined to put an end to these explosions and he has been holding a series of meetings with his security chiefs on the way forward.

“One thing is clear, the President has been careful in dealing with perpetrators of violence and bomb explosions, but he said he has had enough of the stick and carrot approach.”

President Jonathan has promised an enhanced security in the country.

He has also taken counter terrorism

“To start this, we have assessed the threats not only in this country, but to the entire sub-region, West Africa.

“On behalf of the security agencies in this country, I assure you that we will go round from mission to mis-

measures in view of the blast of the United Nations building in Abuja.

A Ramadan message to Nigerians yesterday from the presidency said: “Against the background at last Friday’s terrorist attack on the United Nation’s Building in Abuja and other recent events which may have caused Nigerians to be apprehensive about the security of their lives and property, the President wishes to reassure all citizens and foreigners resident in the country that his Administration is taking every necessary action to enhance national security.

“In this regard, President Jonathan has directed the security services to rapidly evolve and implement additional security, intelligence-gathering and counter-terrorism measures, including greater cooperation with other nations engaged in the global war against terrorism, to thwart the evil machinations of misguided terrorists and other promoters of mindless violence in the country.

“The President also wishes to assure Nigerians that he will not be distracted from the full implementation of his Agenda for National Transformation by the actions of terrorists and retrogressive elements in the country.

sion and discuss what specific security assistance you require that would make you feel more secure,” Ringim said.

The IGP said he was aware of mails sent by some of the diplomats requesting for in-

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formation and steps to be taken with requests for additional security coverage after the bomb blast.

He said he had been mandated to grant security requests by the diplomats, as long as they are available.

He said: “Security agencies have been directed to leave nothing to chance and nothing can stand in the process of providing each and every one of you the necessary security that you need in order to function peacefully and effectively while you are in this country.

“Also, whatever question or demands in terms of security that affect the Nigeria police as well as other security agencies that you seek will definitely be addressed.”

“In this regard, I wish to inform you that our security agencies have made some arrests and the President would soon make pronouncements in that regard to you and the nation where this is concerned”.

Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru said the Friday blast made it necessary to meet the diplomatic corps to intimate them of steps being taken by the government towards their security.

According to him, the presence of the IGP at the forum was to emphasise the seriousness attached to the issue by the government.

One of the diplomats who spoke to The Nation on condition of anonymity said the forum and the steps taken so far were the best the Nigerian government could do at the moment.

ADVERT HOTLINES: 01-280668, 08070591302, 08052592524 NEWSROOM: LAGOS – 01-8962807, ABUJA – 07028105302 COMPLAINTS: 01-8930678

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

5

NEWS IBADAN FLOOD OF TEARS

•A car almost submerged by flood at Apata

•Mr Sikiru Adisa (middle), who lost four children and his father to the flood. An unidentified man was wrongly referred to as Mr Adisa on the front page of our Monday edition.

–The error is regretted-Editor

•Relief materials (beddings) being offloaded at Abbey Technical College, Ibadan...yesterday PHOTOS:FEMI ILESANMI AND NAN

Bakery, 10 buildings collapse

•One of the collapsed buildings

F

OUR days after Friday’s devastating flood in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, residents of the ancient city yesterday continued to relive tales of woes. The surging flood was yet to abate in some parts of the city.

Odo-Ona River’s water level remained high.

Some of those affected by the flood have either parked their remaining belongings to stay with relatives or remained outside their damaged homes with pains and agony all over their faces.

One of the largest bakeries in the city, Ase Oluwa Bakery, • Some residents of Odo-Ona drying their property

A

situated at Gada area of OdoOna Elewe in Ibadan South West Local Government, was destroyed.

Though no lives were lost in the factory, where about 15 workers earn their living, property worth more than N5 million were reportedly destroyed.

Scores of people have been sympathising with the victims of the flood.

Some of the worst hit areas visited by The Nation yesterday were: Nihort, Idi-Ishin, Apete, Ologuneru, Odo-Ona Apata, Odo-Ona Elewe , Omi-Adio,

New Garage, and Oke –Ayo, amongst others.

Families of missing relatives raised search parties to look for their loved ones.

One of such was at Ologuneru area of Ibadan, where three family members said to have boarded a vehicle on their way home, have not been seen since Friday.

The Chairman, Ase Oluwa Bakery, Chief Ajibade Adewale, was at the Gada Odo-Ona factory yesterday receiving those who came to commiserate with him and others who lost loved ones and property.

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

backyard, pulled down the fence and gushed in through the toilet and was about to take over the ground floor of the storey building.

The medic was said to have braved his way through the flood with a view to rescuing his children already trapped but failed to come out alive as he was overwhelmed by the fierce flood.

Two of them were his biological children while the other was his cousin living with the family.

The only surviving son, according to Alphonso, held on to a wooden frame in the ceiling till the flood subsided.

He was later rescued by neighbours.

The news was broken by his wife when she returned from work.

His wife, Olubukola, is a nurse at UCH. She screamed on sighting the bodies, thereby alerting neighbours to the calamity.

The doctor was described as gentle and easy-going by neighbours.

Senator condoles with families of victims

T

•Funiture and some household materials destroyed by the flood

Ibadan

How doctor, three kids died 37-YEAR-OLD medical doctor at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Dr Olakunle Akinyele and his three children died in the Ibadan flood disaster.

They died in their home at Ijokodo junction on SangoEleyele Road.

A neighbour of the deceased, Bola Alphonso, said the late Dr. Akinyele was out before the rain started.

On his return, according to Alphonso, he discovered that the flood had penetrated the

•Part of the collapsed bakery

From Oseheye Okwuofu,

HE Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District, Ayo Adeseun, yesterday commiserated with victims of the flood disaster in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital .

Scores of residents and valuable property were swept away by the ravaging flood.

Describing the disaster as a natural occurrence, the senator noted that the massive scale of damage, including deaths, collapse of homes, massive dislocation and outright destruction of public infrastructure such as roads and bridges, cannot but be regreted.

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

Sending his heart-felt condolences to the families of those who died, Adeseun commiserated with those who sustained physical and emotional injuries as well as those who sustained material losses throughout Oyo State, but particularly residents of Ologun Eru, Oke Ayo area, Oluyole extentsion-Elebu area, Ogbere-Babanla, Oke Afa, Bodija, Olounloyo and Amuloko in Oluyole, Ona Ara, Egbeda, and Akinyele Local Government areas.

He also condoled with residents of similarly affected areas in Oyo Central

Senatorial District.

The lawmaker urged the Federal Government, through the National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ), to come to the aid of the state government in its bid to stabilise the situation.

He noted that the situation required massive and prompt infusion of funds and relief materials from the Federal Government for the amelioration of the disaster.

Also, the immediate past Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin, appealed to the Federal Government to assist victims of the flood in most parts of the ancient city.

6

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

NEWS UN HOUSE BOMBING Bombing unpardonable, says Tambuwal From Dele Anofi, Abuja

SPEAKER of the House of Representatives Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has said the attack on the UN House was unpardonable.

Tambuwal, in a Sallah message, urged all Nigerians to eschew violence.

He advised Nigerians to avoid all acts capable of undermining peace and unity of the country, adding that lessons learnt during the month of Ramadan should not be discarded.

The speaker described the bombing as an unpardonable act of terrorism against the state and humanity.

He said: “Every citizen, irrespective of ethnic, religious or political affiliations, must subject him or herself to the whims and caprices of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

NBA to Jonathan: people are dying because of security lapses •Bar warns against negotiation with Boko Haram

T

HE President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Joseph Daudu yesterday blamed the attack on the UN House in Abuja on President Goodluck Jonathan and security agencies.

Speaking at the public presentation of Project Swift Count, the final report of the April 2011 election observation, Daudu said the attack was a pointer that security in the country is weak.

He said: “We can easily pass a police check point with any criminal exhibit just by

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

paying a little amount.

“If you cannot fish them out, then you are indirectly or directly handing over government to them. But once government is government, it must do that which is expected of it which is to provide adequate security of lives and property.”

He added: “I think people are being punished for the lapses of the security agencies and the leadership of the country.

“NBA has condemned the rate of bombing and we think that the solution is proper intelligence work. And it is a pointer to the weak security that we have.

“The first thing we want to see disappear is policemen taking money at check points. This gives the impression that the country is very porous and as soon as the country is porous, anybody can pass with anything.

“Our position (NBA position) is that you do not open the line of dialogue with criminal groups. What you

do is that you have the laws of the land and the laws of the land do not, as at today, say that you should negotiate with people who take other innocent lives.

“We do not discount any pointer to the cause of the problem. However, you do know that terrorism is fast gaining ground as a means of expressing wounds and people are now carrying domesticated international terrorism to other countries because other countries have been able to block them out.

So, it is up to Nigeria now to

From Tayo Owolabi, Abuja

P

From Emma Mgbeahurike, Owerri

Lutheran Church condemns bombing From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

THE President of Lutheran Church of Nigeria, Archbishop Christian Ekong yesterday condemned the bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja.

Ekong spoke with reporters in Uyo on activities leading to the 75th anniversary of the church.

He said: “It does not speak well of a people getting in to this kind of barbaric antecedent. It is quite inhuman, and we want to plead that, this nation had been known to be peaceful, it should be allowed to remain so.

“What would be our profit if we destroy our fatherland for selfish interest. We will continue to pray for Nigeria as a church.

Also, we would continue to pray for the world so that peace, which is the only means for sustainable development, economic growth and stability can be obtainable in our society.”

brace up its own security apparatus to provide that discouraging environment for terrorism in this country.

“Jonathan still needs to do far much more than what he has done and watch out for all the pillars of the Constitution, such as the Rule of Law and others so that he does not on his own cause some weaknesses.”

More knocks for Jonathan from ‘Facebook’ friends

‘Blast an attack on peace’ THE National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) has described the attack on UN House in Abuja as an attack against Nigeria and the United Nations (UN).

The National President, NCWS, Mrs.Nkechi Mba, in a statement, said such an action against the UN, which stands as a symbol of unity, is capable of bringing misery to women, children and the nation.

She reminded those responsible that the women injured and killed could have been their mothers, wives and daughters.

The council commiserated with the UN families, Nigeria and the family of victims and survivors “that are in serious agony right now.”

•Jonathan

• United Nations flag flown at half mast at the UN House, Abuja... yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

‘Perpetrators of UN House bombing are wild beasts’

T

HOSE that bombed the United Nations building in Abuja are beasts, Ebonyi State Governor Chief Martin Elechi, said at the weekend.

The Boko Haram sect has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing that claimed the lives of 23 persons, including foreigners, and injured many.

World leaders, Christians and Islamic clerics have been condemning the act and its perpetrators.

Elechi, who reacted to the Friday bombing in Abakali-

From Ogbonnaya Obinna, Abakaliki

ki during a reception organised in his honour by the state government after his twoweek vacation in Gambia and Senegal, stated that the perpetrators were animals in human skin.

He said: “I was shocked like any other person in the country when I heard the news in far-away Dakar, Senegal. My conclusion, which is not better than what the President has said, is that, people who can

think of such evil are not human beings; they are wild beasts and they stand condemned by history.”

The governor noted that the activities of the perpetrators cannot change the status of the country as a secular state, adding that they cannot achieve anything by using force and intimidation.

“What are they going to achieve by bombing different places in the country?

They cannot force Nigeria to change the way it has made itself a secular state, meaning

that all forms of religion are allowed to thrive provided you don’t use force. They can’t achieve anything by using force and intimidation so they are merely wasting innocent lives and creating more problems for our country. They are the enemies of the country,” he said.

Pointing out that the bombing of the UN building may not be the end of such attacks in the country, he added that the perpetrators may be targeting and strategising to attack other places in the country in the nearest future.

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday came under attack from his friends on ‘Facebook’ over the bombing of UN House, Abuja. Many of them believe that his administration is slow and indecisive in tackling terrorism.

One of his friends, Adeola Adekeye, said: “It looks as if your administration is not in charge of this government anymore. We have all these incessant bombing attacks and yet you don’t even consider doing a reshuffle in the police administration, rather you are busy destabilising the already bastardised judiciary.”

Another friend, John Modey Agi said: “Now, where is the place of Nigeria and Nigerians? I guess we just have to embrace terrorism now as a way of life. It’s time for those managing our security to resign or be sacked!”

Andrew Ogbefu said: “A situation like this requires desperate measures. Stop this your ‘enough is enough’ talk and act now! We want to see action and results; not talk.

Alabi AbdulWasi said: “The state of insecurity of lives and property, indiscriminate bombings and killing of innocent lives, political stupidity and imbecility we find in this country today, is as a result of the animalistic behaviour, insincerity of intention and unpatriotic attitude of those political Gaddafis who had steered or are steering the affairs of this country.”

Atiku, Kalu: it’s time for national reconciliation

F

ORMER Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu yesterday urged the Federal Government to intensify its national reconciliation efforts.

Kalu, who commiserated with the United Nations over the attack on its UN House in Abuja, regretted the new image that has being foisted on the country due to insecurity.

He said:”These indeed are difficult times in our history and we must not allow this

From Sanni Onogu, Abuja

country to break up. Nigerians have a lot to gain by staying together. We can talk things over. I strongly believe that a National Reconciliation Commission should be established by government. We need peace to achieve national development.”

The former governor highlighted the cost of insecurity at a time Nigerians should be reaping the benefits of constitutional government.

“No strong nation lives alone. Government wants to attract foreign investors, especially through the new Ministry of Trade and Investment. Nigeria is a land of milk and honey. It will be difficult for us to do business with foreign partners if we continue with the politics of bomb and horror,” he added.

Kalu said Nigerians would be able to air and settle their grievances if offered opportunity through meaningful deliberations.

“We are good people loved so much by God. We can settle our differences. Let the National Reconciliation Commission be empowered to bring various interests together. We should not shy away from settling differences. At the same time, bombs are meant to scatter not build,” Kalu said.

Atiku, in a statement, said indiscriminate violence against the innocent could not solve any problem.

He said there is no alternative to dialogue and peaceful

resolution of conflicts.

Atiku explained that as an international institution committed to peace and wellbeing of humanity, United Nations staff should be protected rather than being put in harm’s way.

He said: “Our security men are not magicians to overcome these challenges unaided.” The ex-Vice-President called for increased vigilance

by Nigerian citizens in the face of this dangerously new phase of violence and security challenges.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

7

NEWS

•Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (right) and his Kwara State counterpart, Alhaji AbdulFatah Ahmed praying for their states and the nation during this year’s lesser Hajj (Umrah) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia ... at the weekend.

•Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko (left) congratulating the Caretaker Chairman of Ondo East Local Government, Mr Ope Fadoju after the swearing-in of 18 caretaker chairmen of local government councils in Akure ... yesterday. With them is Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN)

Ashafa counsels Jonathan on single term bill

U

NLESS more powers are devolved from the centre to the federating units, amending the Constitution will be an exercise in futility, Senator Gbenga Ashafa said at the weekend.

He spoke against the backdrop of a plan by President Goodluck Jonathan to propose a single-term of six-year tenure for President and governors.

The lawmaker argued that to tinker with the Constitution without the Federal Government losing its overbearing hold on the states would amount to putting the cart before the horse.

His words: “In my opinion, the amendment to the constitution will not serve any purpose if there is no devolution of powers at the centre to the components units which has invariably brought about do or die politics which the bill tends to eradicate. It means working hard in the wrong direction and might be seen as ill-conceived.”

Ashafa, who East urged the President to come up with bills that could bring the best out of the greater majority of Nigerians irrespective of where they live across the country by ceding some of the powers from the seat of government in the Federal Capital City (FCT).

He, however, cautioned

against throwing away the presidential bill, saying that the proposal has some merits.

“It is pertinent to note that the bill has some merits and should not be discarded in all its entirety but not now that we have so many fundamental challenges confronting the Nigerian State”, he said.

The lawmaker representing Lagos East Senatorial zone listed the challenges as unemployment, security problems, poor health services, infrastructure collapse, power failure, dwindling educational fortune, food insecurity and low production capacity in the manufacturing sector.

“This proposal with President and governors being beneficiaries is a misplaced advantage. This position consciously fails to gain support from political logic and as such very.

“In this regard therefore, a flexible option of injecting new policies and people oriented programmes into the system is of great concern and importance now.

“It is my consideration also, that the six-years single tenure as proposed, is like robbing Nigerians of their rights. Good governance is not rocket science and one does not need to be a genius to understand its templates.”

Members of the detained Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) jubilating after regaining their freedom at Onitsha Magistrate Court... yesterday

Probe confirms al-Qaeda link in UN House bombing Continued from page 2

“With his new national economic management team now fully established and functional, Nigerians can

look forward to visible progress in the fulfillment of the President’s promise of socio-economic revitalization, job creation and the renewal of national infra-

structure in the coming months.

“While President Jonathan will continue to give the nation required leadership and direction for greater unity,

stability and progress, he wishes to stress, however, that all Nigerians have a role to play in the urgent task of nation-building.”

How the terror organisation Al-Qaeda works Continued from page 2

After the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, bin Laden returned to his native Saudi Arabia. He founded an organization to help veterans of the Afghan war, many of whom went on to fight elsewhere (including Bosnia) and comprise the basis of alQaeda.

Bin Laden also studied with radical Islamic thinkers and may have already been organizing al-Qaeda when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990.

Bin Laden was outraged when the government allowed U.S. troops to be stationed in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam. In 1991 he was expelled from Saudi Arabia for anti-government activities.

After his expulsion from Saudi Arabia, bin Laden established headquarters for al-Qaeda in Khartoum, Sudan. The first actions of alQaeda against American in-

terests were attacks on U.S. servicemen in Somalia. A string of terrorist actions suspected to have been orchestrated by al-Qaeda followed (see sidebar), and in August 1996 bin Laden issued a “Declaration of War” against the U.S. Al-Qaeda also worked to forge alliances with other radical groups. In February 1998, bin Laden announced an alliance of terrorist organizations—the “International Islamic Front for Jihad Against the Jews and Crusaders”—that included the Egyptian al-Gama’at alIslamiyya, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, the Harakat ulAnsar, and other groups.

In 1994 Sudan—under pressure from Saudi Arabia and the U.S.—expelled bin Laden, who moved his base of operations to Afghanistan. Bin Laden was the “guest” of the Taliban until the U.S. drove them from

power in Nov. 2001. AlQaeda set up terrorist training camps in the war-torn nation, as it had in Sudan.

Although al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden have become virtually synonymous, bin Laden did not run the organisation singlehandedly. His top advisor was al-Zawahiri, bin Laden’s successor. AlZawahiri is an Egyptian surgeon from an upper-class family. He joined the country’s Islamist movement in the late 1970s. He served three years in prison on charges connected to the assassination of Anwar Sadat, during which time he was tortured. After his release he went to Afghanistan, where he met bin Laden and became his personal physician and advisor. He was likely instrumental in bin Laden’s political evolution.

Al-Zawahiri is suspected of

helping organize the 1997 massacre of 67 foreign tourists in the Egyptian town of Luxor and was indicted in connection with the bombing of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. In 1998, he was one of five Islamic leaders to sign on to bin Laden’s declaration calling for attacks against U.S. citizens.

He is wanted by the FBI and has been sentenced to death

by Egypt in absentia. In March 2004 the Pakistani military began an assault on al-Qaeda troops along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. These troops were believed to be defending alZawahiri, who managed to escape.

Al-Qaeda’s leadership oversees a loosely organized network of cells. It can recruit members from thousands of “Arab Afghan” veterans and radicals around the world.

Its infrastructure is small, mobile, and decentralized—

each cell operates independently with its members not knowing the identity of other cells. Local operatives rarely know anyone higher up in the organization’s hierarchy.

Al-Qaeda differs significantly from more traditional terrorist organizations. It does not depend on the sponsorship of a political state, and, unlike the PLO or the IRA, it is not defined by a particular conflict. Instead, al-Qaeda operates as a franchise. It provides financial and logistical support, as well as name recognition, to terrorist groups operating in such diverse places as the Philippines, Algeria, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Tajikistan, Somalia, Yemen, and Kashmir. Furthermore, local groups may act in the name of al-Qaeda in order to bolster their own reputation—even if they are not receiving support from the or-

•Osama bin-Laden

ganization.

The principal stated aims of al-Qaeda are to drive Americans and American influence out of all Muslim nations, especially Saudi Arabia; destroy Israel; and topple pro-Western dictatorships around the Middle East. Bin Laden also said that he wishes to unite all Muslims and establish, by force if necessary, an Islamic nation adhering to the rule of the first Caliphs.

8

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

NEWS Tribunal defers ruling on CPC’s application From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

A FOUR-man Presidential Election Petition Tribunal is set to determine whether the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) should be declared winner of the April 16 presidential election by default.

Justice Mohammed Garuba, who presided over the tribunal yesterday following the suspension of Court od Appeal President and Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, deferred ruling indefinitely after parties adopted their written addresses.

The CPC is challenging the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The party is alleging substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act and irregularities in Lagos, Bayelsa, Kaduna, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Kwara, Adamawa, Abia, AkwaIbom, Enugu and Cross River.

Others are Rivers, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo Anambra, Benue, Plateau states and the FCT. It is asking for nullification of results in the affected states.

The tribunal had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow CPC access to some sensitive electoral materials.

Following alleged refusal of the commission to comply with the order, the petitioner filed an application asking the tribunal to enter judgment in its favour.

It alleged that Jonathan and PDP were conniving with the INEC to frustrate its petition.

The INEC, having violated the order of the tribunal, counsel to CPC, Oladipo Okpeseyi (SAN) asked the panel to enter judgment in its favour.

Law students seek reinstatement of PCA From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

THE National Association of the Nigerian Law Students (NANLAS) yesterday called for the immediate reinstatement of the suspended Court of Appeal President, Justice Isa Ayo Salami.

The association also urged all the parties involved to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the matter in order not to render the eventual judgment of the court nugatory.

The students, led by their President, Alabi M. Abdul spoke to reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital. They described President Goodluck Jonathan’s suspension of Justice Salami as too ‘swift.’

In a speech entitled: “You didn’t teach this in class,” the NANLAS president said: “We are equally bemused by the swiftness with which the president acted on a matter considered ‘subjudice’ instead of employing caution and reasonable discretion in the handling of the matter.

“The action of Mr. President is condemnable, and amounted to an unnecessary meddlesomeness which should not be the yardstick of the exercise of his power, more so that a court of competent jurisdiction is hearing the issue.

We the members of NANLAS are at a loss as to not only the rationale behind the manner of the exercise of the disciplinary powers by the National Judicial Council (NJC) but also its legality.

“We condemn in strong term the rape of the Constitution as exemplified by the kangaroo approach with which Hon Justice Salami was ‘suspended’ from office.

Court convicts 24 electoral offenders T WENTY-FOUR persons have been convicted nationwide for electoral offences committed by them during the last elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced yesterday. However, 21 others were discharged, according to the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Kayode Idowu.

Overall, 321 cases of electoral malpractices were charged to court with others at different stages of prosecution, he said.

Idowu added that the impression created by media reports that the Commission has abandoned the prosecution of electoral offenders was wrong.

According to INEC, there are six cases in Edo State, for which the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), has asked INEC headquarters to take over the prosecution.

Four of 16 cases in Benue State are ripe for hearing, while 12 are under investigation. In Imo, six cases are set for trial; while 21 are awaiting prosecution in Borno State.

Two arrests were made in Bayelsa, but there is “no report from police of investigation” .

Four persons have been convicted in Adamawa, while a case is pending. In Osun, three are under investigation. Seven have been convicted in Jigawa where 22 are standing trial and two are under investigation.

In Enugu, 11 persons will soon go to trial, while 15 cases are pending in court in Kaduna. In Ondo, 25 cases are pending with one conviction, just as 15 are pending in court in Lagos.

The rest are: Kano (four convicted; 21 pending); Katsina (16 pending); Ekiti (16 pending); Oyo (30 pending); Abia (three pending); Kebbi (five convicted; 12 pending, two

By Joseph Jibueze

discharged); Zamfara (three convicted, 12 pending, one discharged); Niger (two pending) and Cross River (eight pending and six struck out.”

In an August 25 letter to the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), a copy of which was obtained by The Nation, Idowu said INEC has not neglected the prosecution of electoral offenders in the April 2011 general elections.

The letter reads in part: “First, it is erroneous to say that no staff of the Commission has been brought to trial for alleged criminal acts, either during the Voter Registration in January/February 2011 or the April elections.

“It is public knowledge, for instance, that the Commission did not hesitate to apprehend and arraign the head of the ICT unit in its Oyo State office who was accused of using Direct Data Capture Machines for illicit registration of persons during the Voter Registration exercise.

“The Commission has taken other indicted officials to court – in its Osun State office, for instance; while disciplinary measures have been taken against staff members that were implicated in the Appeal Court verdict on the 2007 Ekiti State governorship election.

“Secondly, it is important to note that there are three levels to the prosecution of electoral offenders. One level is the investigation/interrogation of suspects to generate useful evidences, which falls within the purview of the Police. Another is the prosecution in court, which the

Electoral Act vests INEC with responsibility to undertake.

“The third level is the trial processes, the determination of which rests entirely with the Judiciary.

Notice, sir, that INEC can only work in concert with the other levels to conclusively prosecute electoral offenders.

“Contrary to claims in your press statement, INEC is in harmonious working relationship with the Police on the prosecution of electoral offenders and there is no reason for buck-passing.

“The point remains, however, that it is not entirely up to INEC to conclusively bring electoral offenders to justice. For instance, the case of a suspect caught with about 100 voter cards in Anambra State in 2010 is yet pending in court.

“But even within the purview of INEC’s responsibility, the Commission has acknowledged a severe level of incapacity in-house to effectively handle the very large population of suspects of electoral malpractices.

“Recall, for instance, that there are 870, 612 multiple registration suspects identified from the Voter Registration exercise early this year.

That is not to cite the motley of preelection and election offenders, which make the modest number of prosecutions so far undertaken by INEC hugely insignificant.

“Meanwhile, before the April elections, the Commission’s lawyers inhouse had to contend with a plethora of litigations that arose from the nomination of candidates by political parties; and since the elections ended they have been preoccupied with petitions at the Election Tribunals.

“That is the reason why the Commission has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the

•INEC chair Prof. Attahiru Jega

Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which it believes will be useful to fast-track the prosecutions.

“That, also, is why the Commission has consistently advocated the need for the authorities to revisit a proposal by the Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais Panel for the creation of an Electoral Offences Tribunal.

“This is not to suggest, though, that there has been nothing achieved so far in the modest efforts by INEC to bring culprits of electoral offences to justice and discourage impunity in political conduct.

“Out of 321 cases so far taken up for prosecution by the Commission, 24 convictions have been secured while the courts, in their wisdom, have discharged 21 cases.

Kindly find the statistics and case profiles attached.”

ACN urges Jonathan to rescind decision on Salami

T

HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to reinstate Justice Ayo Salami as Court of Appeal President (PCA).

In a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also criticised government’s attempt to rationalise President Jonathan’s action, describing it as futile and a pointer to the quality of advice being given to the President by his advisers.

It said the party agrees with Emeritus Prof D.A. Ijalaiye (SAN) of the Obafemi Awolowo University that a competent, patriotic and selfless AttorneyGeneral of the Federation would have advised the President as follows: That all things considered, President Jonathan should not accept the recommendation of the

By Nneka Nwaneri

NJC that Hon Justice Isa Salami should be retired from office and also direct that the suspension imposed on him by the NJC be ignored because both actions were palpably illegal and therefore null and void; that Hon Justice KatsinaAlu should proceed on natural retirement from August 28, 2011; and that Hon. Justice Isa Salami be left as the President Court of Appeal till he reaches retirement age.

The statement reads: “As a matter of fact, there is no compulsion on the part of the President to act on all or any recommendation of the NJC, especially where, in Salami’s case, the NJC has not only shown its bias but has acted illegally by pronouncing on a matter which it knew was already subjudice.

“For the avoidance of doubt, for Section 238 of the Constitution -

which the President said he relied upon to act - to become operative, Section 292 of the Constitution must have been complied with.

“A close reading of Section 292 of the Constitution will show clearly that the President was ill-advised by his Attorney-General to be made to believe that there exists a vacuum which must be filled.

This is because Justice Salami had to be validly removed in accordance with Section 292 before the President can invoke Section 238.

“Since there was no vacancy, there could have been no lacuna and the President was therefore misadvised by those who might have been more focused on personal, rather than national interest, and his appointment of an acting President of the Court of Appeal has only given a presidential stamp to a series of illegality.

“Our simple answer to the

advertorial being used to justify the millions of naira that have been funneled into the pockets of those behind the circus show is that the cases of Justices Chudi Nwokorie, Idris Habib or Ibrahim Anka which they cited are different from that of Justice Isa Salami. Let them answer this simple question: ‘Did the NJC make the recommendations to dismiss any of these other judges while their cases were in court?’

“Nigerians may be reeling under the yoke of poverty and hardship, but their reasoning faculty is intact.

The truth is that no good advert can sell a bad product. The millions being wasted on adverts and cashand-carry ‘analysis’ by mercenary constitutional experts and pseudo public affairs analysts, both here and abroad, will not end the controversy of Justice Salami’s illegal removal until the right thing is done.

•Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda displaying a cheque to be presented to a widow - Salamatu Abdullahi on behalf of Dangote Foundation during the donation of relief materials and N365 million to the victims of post-election crisis in the North...yesterday. With them is Executive Director, Dangote Foundation Mr. Ahmed Iya

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

NEWS Mimiko swears in interim chairmen Ibadan floods: Six residents still missing as death toll hits 32 O From Damisi Ojo, Akure

•Govt begins rebuilding of bridges •Aregbesola, Olubadan, others send condolences

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HE number of victims killed by last Friday’s flood in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, has risen to 32.

Police spokesman Femi Okanlawon said the 32 bodies were recovered at different locations in the city.

He said six persons were still missing.

The State Government yesterday began moves to rebuild bridges destroyed by the flood, which rendered many homeless.

The government brought in a team of engineers from CCECC Nigeria Limited to inspect the Apete and Olomi bridges.

As temporary measures, the Ministry of Works began the building of foot bridges in both areas.

They are also to begin rehabilitation of feeder roads at Apete and Ajibode, to provide alternative roads for the

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

people.

The ministry plans to begin the rehabilitation of roads in Oluyole and Olorunda, which were destroyed by the flood.

The ministry has completed the repair of Parliament/Premier Hotel road.

The distribution of relief materials to victims continued at designated centres yesterday. Beddings, food items and drugs were given to them .

Governor Abiola Ajimobi was expected back in the country from Saudi Arabia last night or this morning.

His spokesman, Festus Adedayo, said the governor, who cut short his pilgrimage, failed to secure a direct flight.

Adedayo said: “The governor is on a minute-byminute discussion with his deputy, State Emergency

Management Agency (SEMA) officials and the local council chairmen on the rescue of victims, provision of relief materials and reconstruction of bridges in affected areas.

“This government does not want to join issue with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It is only idle, evil and mischievous persons who would want to politicise and capitalise on the death of scores of our citizens, for which the world has sympathised with us in the last couple of days.”

Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola; the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana; the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Hosea Agboola; and other eminent personalities yesterday commiserated with the state government and victims of the flood.

Aregbesola, in a statement by his media aide, Semiu

Okanlawon, said it was unfortunate that the disaster occurred at the time a new government was beginning to repair damage caused by many years of neglect in the state.

Aregbesola said: “My heart goes out to the families of those killed by the flood. May Almighty God give them the strength to bear their losses.

“I appeal to the entire people of Oyo State to support the governor’s effort to repair the damage of the past. The people of Oyo are in safe hands, as the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) is focused on ensuring good governance.”

The Olubadan prayed that God would restore the losses of the people in many folds.

Agboola called on the Federal Government to partner with the state government to bring succour to the victims.

NDO State is set for Local Government Elections.

The House of Assembly yesterday approved the list of members nominated to run the affairs of the State Independent Electoral Commission (ODSIEC), which was sent to it by Governor Olusegun Mimiko ahead of the council polls.

Also yesterday, Mimiko swore in caretaker chairmen to oversee the councils pending the election. He urged them to be productive and accountable.

The event took place at Adegbemile Cultural Centre in Akure, the state capital.

Mimiko said: “You must do every thing to develop your councils. You are to prioritise sanitation to keep our communities neat. You must maintain a good relationship with career officers in your councils because without their support, there cannot be any meaningful achievement.

“Above all, you must not run away from your people; rather, you are to treat everyone equally and carry them along, irrespective of their political parties, because you because you are chairmen of all.”

The former interim council chairmen were removed last Sunday.

The Electoral Law states that ODSIEC members must be in office for, at least, 90 days before elections can take place into the local government councils.

ODSIEC is expected to announce an election time table soon.

In the last two years, Caretaker Committees had been manning the affairs of the 18 local government councils, following the dissolution of the former council executives put in place by the ousted administration of Dr. Olusegun Agagu.

All set for monarch’s coronation RADITIONAL rulers across the country, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade and the Emir of Zauzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, are expected at the coronation of the new Elekole of Ikole-Ekiti, Oba Adewumi Ajibade Fasiku, scheduled for this weekend.

Oba Fasiku, formerly a staff of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), succeeded Oba Adetula Adeleye, who joined his ancestors on October 2, 2010, after reigning for 52 years. Oba Fasiku is a law-

T

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado Ekiti

yer and chartered accountant.

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi is expected to present the Staff of Office to the monarch.

Chairman, Publicity SubCommittee of Elekole Coronation Planning Committee (ECPC), Dr. Bayo Aderiye said the weeklong celebration would feature traditional dances, free medical check-up for residents, a novelty football match, among other things.

Water scarcity hits Oyo From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo

HERE is scarcity of potable water in the ancient town of Oyo, Oyo State.

The scarcity, which is into its third week, was caused by the breakdown of the transformer that powers Erelu Waterworks, which is located on Iseyin road.

The situation has caused untold hardship in the community, as residents now resort to unhealthy sources, such as streams and untreated wells to get water.

More worrisome is the increasing number of sachet water manufacturers, many of who are yet to be certified by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

A few tanker owners have been supplying water to residents who can afford it.

Residents called on the State Water Corporation to come to their aid.

When THE NATION visited Erelu Waterworks, which is undergoing rehabilitation, workers refused to comment.

But competent sources said the State Water Corporation has taken steps to address the problem.

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•From left: Mr. Wu Legancy and Lucas Stone of CCECC Nigeria Limited, Mr. Layiwola Popoola of the Ministry of Works and Adedayo inspecting one of the damaged bridges...yesterday

Motorcyclists protest killing in Ilesa

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OMMERCIAL motorcyclists yesterday took to the streets of Ilesa in Osun State to protest the alleged killing of their colleague, Sunday Oyeleye Ojo, by his co-tenant.

It was alleged that after a hot argument over the payment of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) bill allotted to the deceased, Shina Godwin and another tenant beat the 28 year-old Ojo into coma.

Ojo was rushed to Wesley Guide Hospital, Ilesa, but he

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

eventually died.

Yesterday, his relations and friends, who are mostly commercial motorcyclists, took to the streets, protesting the alleged.

The Police Area Commander, Mr. Kayode Tunner, and his men had a hectic time preventing the protesters from breaking into the police station to lynch Godwin and his mother, who were in custody.

Lagos steps up measures against cholera

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HE Lagos State Government is taking proactive steps to prevent the spread of cholera in the state.

They include cleaning of slums; treatment of potable water sources; legislating against harmful cultural practices such as burying corpses in residential compounds; using human faeces as manure for garden/ farms; not treating sewages before disposal into sea; and the construction of soak away close to wells and without clearance from

By Oyeyemi GbengaMustapha

the Ministry of Environment.

Commissioner for Health Jide Idris, briefing reporters yesterday on the outbreak of cholera in the state, said the disease was caused by unhygienic behaviours, resulting from inadequate awareness of the health implications.

Idris urged Lagosians to look out for symptoms of the disease, such as diarrhoea, nausea and profuse vomiting, and report cases

‘Once there is a suspected case, it is best to give Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), popularly called sugar and salt solution, so as to reduce body water loss; and report to the nearest health facility’ to the nearest health centre.

He said: “Once there is a suspected case, it is best to give Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), popularly called sugar and salt solution, so as to reduce body water loss; and report to the nearest health facility. “To prepare ORS, put five cubes of sugar or ten level teaspoons of granulated sugar and one level teaspoon of salt in two 35cl bottles of clean potable water. Mix together and stir with a clean spoon. Do not keep beyond 24 hours. If it is exhausted before 24 hours, make a fresh solution.”

LAUTECH Alumni trains students in leadership

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HE Alumni Association of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, recently organised a leadership seminar for the students.

The Theme of the seminar was “Values and Ethics for Effective Student Leadership.”

In his opening address, the Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof.

Sulaiman Gbadegesin, represented by the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr. John Akintola, said a good leader must have many skills.

Prof. Gbadegesin said: “Attributes that differentiate a leader from a boss are temperance, diligence, trust,

From Bode Durojaiye, Ogbomoso

consideration and diplomacy. These are critical factors in determining a genuine and reliable leader; they will identify hidden strengths and blind spots.”

He urged the association to contribute to the development of the university through the provision of lecture theatres, well-equipped laboratories and an alumni complex.

Prof. Gbadegesin said: “It is only a dishonest person that will say all is well in the university. There is need for the alumni to intercede in the on-going crisis through prayers and intellectual capabilities.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

10

NEWS Edo to secure UNICEF counterpart funding

Robbery suspect killed in Delta •Three kidnap suspects arrested T E HE police in Delta State yesterday arrested a three-man kidnap gang, including a woman accomplice.

A robbery suspect was killed, following a shootout with the police.

Police spokesman Charles Muka said Tommien Ekekumor was abducted in Ugborikoko, Uwvie Local Government on August 25.

He was, however, released after N1 million was paid.

According to Muka, the

From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

police acting on a tip-off intercepted the phone lines used in the negotiation for the ransom.

The female accomplice was arrested and on August 27, Christian Nkatiba and Ejiro Michael were nabbed.

Muka said the telephone numbers used during the negotiations were traced to the

female accomplice and one of the suspects.

Muka said efforts are being intensified to track the other suspects and recover the ransom.

The robbery suspect was killed after a gun battle with police in Asaba.

The police spokesman said men of the command intercepted a Mitsubishi Bus L300, when the passengers

opened fire on the police.

Muka said the police returned fire, resulting in the death of the suspect.

Items recovered included two AK47 rifles; 24 live ammunition and charms.

Muka said one of the suspects made a confessional statement.

He said they (robbers) were on their way to Benin, Edo State, for an operation.

DO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said the government is working to pay its counterpart funding in respect of the United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF)assisted programme to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target.

The Governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Simon Imuekemhe, made this known at the inauguration of the State Policy Programme Advisory Committee on UNICEFAssisted Programme.

He said: “The state committee has the mandate to drive government policy as it relates to immunisation and child nutrition, child health and maternal services in government hospitals and primary health care centers in the 18 local governments”.

“You are aware that when a delegation from UNICEF visited us last

week, they encouraged us to build on our achievements, especially in the areas of maternal and childcare. That is the more reason we have the Stella Obasanjo Women and Children Hospital; we are going to develop more on that.

“Again, you are aware that the treatment of malaria in all our hospitals is free, as well as free education from primary to J.S 3.

“I want to urge members to work hard to actualize the policy of this government so that our rating in the international community would be maintained.”

The members of the committee are: Dr. Simon Imuekemhe(Chairman); Commissioner for Budget and Planning Chris Ebare (Vice-Chairman); Ministries of Justice; Women Affairs and Social Development; Education; Health; Energy and Water Resources and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Planning.

Woman found inside well

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•Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi (right) at the inspection of the new model secondary school in Etche...yesterday. With him are Prof. Leslie Obiorah and a team member of Educamp Solutions Limited.

Wife of kidnapped Edo businessman dies

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HE wife of kidnapped Edo businessman Tes Soare, Bridget, is dead.

She was injured when her husband was abducted on Sunday afternoon by unknown gunmen, who killed his two police orderlies and driver.

It was gathered that the kidnappers struck at about 2pm after trailing Sorae from church.

Sources said they were accosted in front of their house on Textile Mill Road.

Friends, associates and

•Family holds prayer meeting From Osagie Otabor, Benin

relations yesterday held a three-hour prayer session for Soare’s safe return.

Mrs. Soare celebrated her 60th birthday in April.

Her death brought the number of those killed during the abduction to four.

During the prayer session, God was asked to send fire and confusion among the kidnappers so that the businessman could be released.

Some of the children, who declined comments, were weeping; others just sat staring.

It was gathered that the kidnappers are yet to contact the family.

Commissioner of Police David Omojola said police had commenced investigation into the abduction.

Omojola said Sorae was shot in the leg before his abductors took him away.

In a seperate develop-

ment, three persons have been arrested by the police in Okpella, Estako East Local Government, following their failed attempt to kidnap a woman.

The arrest was effected by a vigilance group in the locality, who pursued the kidnappers.

The commandant of the group, Mohammed Sani, said the suspects were arrested at Iyamho, near Auchi in Estako West.

He said the suspects diverted from a highway to a road which, unknown to them, was a dead end.

Imoke condemns UNICAL violence

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ROSS River State Governor Liyel Imoke has described the August 26 destruction of property at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) by students as most unfortunate.

Imoke spoke when he visited the campus yesterday. He said no matter the cause of the demonstration the students should have opted for dialogue rather than embarking on wanton destruction.

The governor, who was received by the Vice Chancellor, Prof James Ekpoke, said the level of destruction

From Kunle Johnson, Calabar

was unquantifiable.

He, however, noted that calm has returned and the institution shut down.

Ekpoke said the institution had given students an August 26 deadline for registration and payment of school fees since the academic session commenced on January 14.

He said representatives of the Students Union met with the school authorities on the matter but was surprised that students resorted to violence rather than

waited for the outcome of the discussion.

Ekpoke said some arrests have been made but debunked rumours that there was a robbery attack in a male hostel, which prompted the demonstration.

Investigations revealed that all vehicles in sight, irrespective of their inscriptions had their wind screens smashed while the Unical Micro-Finance Bank, Unical Press, Samuel Imoke Medical Centre, Proposed Senate Building, Unical Pharmacy and Transport Office were vandalised.

The destruction extended

•Imoke

to lecturers’ quarters, but surprisingly, the lecture halls were avoided.

ESIDENTS of Ahor village in Uhunmwode Local Government of Edo State were shocked yesterday as they brought out the body of a 61-year-old woman found inside a dry well.

The woman, identified as Felicia Agbonyinma, was brought out of the well naked and her face covered with a cloth.

One of her sons, who identified himself as Jolly, said they had been looking for

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

her since Saturday night.

He said she attended a funeral in the village only for them to find her dead inside the well.

A youth leader in the community, Kingsley Ed-Aiyobare, said they were still in shock over the incident.

He said the community would assist the police to fish out the perpetrators.

Police officers attached to a police post in the locality confirmed the incident.

Edo judicial workers on strike

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NOTHER round of industrial action has started in Edo State as the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) yesterday began a one week warning strike over implementation of the minimum wage.

The entrance to the state High Court and Magistrate courts were locked.

This action is coming barely one month after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) grounded activities in the civil service

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

in a solidarity strike with the Nigeria Union of Teachers.

JUSUN Chairman Kayode Igbarago said the strike would last till September 2.

He said: “All staff of the Edo State Judiciary are hereby directed to stay away from work on Monday August 29 till September 2, except government fully implements the new wage for workers on level 01- 17 in line with the Minimum Wage Act.”

Anambra to immunise one NE million chilmillion kids dren under five

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years are expected to be vaccinated during the next immunisation campaign, the Commissioner for Health, Prof Amobi Ilika, has said.

Ilika told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Onitsha that the five-day exercise would be flagged off by Governor Peter Obi today at Idemili South Local Government headquarters in Ojoto.

He said mobile immunisation teams would be used to reach “the remotest parts of the state, including riverine areas and farm settlements”.

“We are expecting to immunise between 900,000 and one million children

and we are going to use hospitals, primary healthcare centres and what we call fixed hosts and going house-to-house.

“For the house-to-house, we are only going to give polio vaccine but all the other ones, measles injections and others, would be done in Primary Health-Care Centres, hospitals and fixed host – churches and schools,’’ the commissioner said.

He, however, did not disclose the doses of vaccine to be administered and the number of people trained for the exercise.

He said the exercise would be in partnership with WHO, UNICEF, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency and others.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

11

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Nigeria is a true home of all African-American given the statistics, which indicate that one in every three black man on earth is a Nigerian. As your home, you should show more than a passing interest in the development of the country.

–Mrs Stella OduahOgiemwinyi, Minister of Aviation

Naira weakens at inter-bank, Dutch auction

Miners seek N200b survival pill

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HE Naira weakened against the United States dollar on the interbank market yesterday as demand for the greenback outweighed supply at Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) bi-weekly auction, leaving a gap of about $137 million in unmet demand.

The local currency, according to Reuters, closed at N155 to the dollar on the interbank market compared to N154.70 to a dollar Friday’s close as some lenders buy up dollars to cover their positions.

On the official window, demand surged to $736.71 million, while the banking watchdog sold only $600 million at N152.40 to the dollar at the auction. The regulator sold $400 million at N152.10 to the dollar at the previous auction last Wednesday.

Traders said the increased demand at the auction was caused by the apex bank holding only one auction this week as a result of a public holiday today and Wednesday to mark the end of Muslim Ramadan fasting.

IFC invests N4.58b in GTBank

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HE International Fi nance Corporation (IFC) has invested N4.58 billion ($29.6 million) in Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) , one of the top five lenders by assets, GTBank said yesterday.

The IFC acquired 284,697,017 new shares of GT Bank, which operates 183 branches in and five banking subsidiaries across West Africa and the United Kingdom, at a price of N16.09 per share.

GTBank in July said it had received an expression of interest from the private sector arm of the World Bank to acquire new shares of the bank through placement and would seek shareholders approval for the transaction.

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$109.7/barrel Cocoa - $2,856/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢78.07.pound Gold -$1,161/troy ounce Rubber - ¢146.37/pound MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE JSE NYSE LSE

-N7.3 trillion -Z5.112trillion -$10.84 trillion -£61.67 trillion

RATES Inflation -10.2% Treasury Bills -2.64% Normal lending -24% Prime lending -18% Savings rate -3% 91-day NTB -6.99% Time Deposit - 6% MPR -8% Foreign Reserve -$34.7bn FOREX CFA 0.281 • 213 £ 241.00 $ 150.7 ¥ 1.5652 SDR 240.3 RIYAL 39.3

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

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•Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr Oscar Onyema, flanked by Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, Mr Ade Bajomo (right) and Chief of Staff/Head, Corporate Division, Mr Bola Adeeko at a meeting with Fund Managers.

NAICOM berates insurers’ premium income T HE Commissioner for Insurance Mr Fola Daniel, has berated insurers over their N200billion premium income, which he said is far below the industry’s capital base of N500billion.

Daniel told The Nation that the insurance industry, over the years, has been moving at a slow pace, adding that the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has taken steps to reposition the industry to meet public expectations.

He said the latest action taken by the commission to improve the income of the industry was the arrest of fake insurers. He urged insurers to leverage on the opportunities created, such as Market Development and Restructuring Initiative (MDRI) programme, created by the commission to contribute to the economic development.

He said the government through the Nigeria Con-

By Chuks Udo Okonta

tent Bill, which empowers insurers to underwrite 70 per cent risks in the country, has also paved the way for insurers to improve their operations.

“We have a capital, which is in excess of N500 billion and the industry is not generating the capital, which means that we are undertrading. The operators have been trying to jog, but now, we are no longer going to jog but run.

“We have moved very slowly as an insurance industry. We have been walking and in the last four years, we attempted to jog.

Now we are no longer going to jog but run. The N1trillion target, which we have variously stated, I believe, it is achievable for we have huge opportunities

and potential; all we need to do is to harness the available opportunities.

“I am very glad that in the last two months, several companies had their annual general meetings and many of the boards expressed disappointments over the performance of their companies. They did that against the backdrop that they know that there are huge opportunities.

So, management of various insurance companies will have no choice than to key into our developmental effort. What we have done in the last three years is not really regulating the industry, but we have concentrated more on developing the industry. We have laid a solid foundation for development. So, it is for companies to key in. Since the investor are

now attentive and also now almost reading riot act to the management of their companies, I believe they would not want to be pushed.

“We have opened a lot of windows, it is just for them to walk in and tap the opportunities. We are not going to sell insurance products as regulators. What we are going to do is really to create opportunities, which we have created. We have created many opportunities through the MDRI; the Federal Government also has created opportunities through the instrumentality of the Nigerian Content Bill. And the bill is a multimillion dollar, pounds, euro businesses. When you translate that to naira, you would see that the trillion premium target is achievable.”

10 banks record N598.1b gross earnings

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EN banks have re corded a modest in crease of 13.75 per cent in their half-year gross earnings, rising from N526.5 billion in June 2010 to N598.1billion in June 2011.

The banks are Sterling Bank Plc, Stanbic/IBTC Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, First City Merchant Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc. Others are Skye Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Ecobank Nigeria and Firstbank of Nigeria Plc. According to their results, Sterling Bank Plc increased its gross earnings from N16.28 billion in 2010 to N18.15 billion; Stanbic/ IBTC’s gross earnings grew from N28.37 billion to N32.19 billion, while Fidelity Bank Plc recorded in-

By Akinola Ajibade

creased gross earnings from N27.08billion to N29.91billion in the review period.

Also, FCMB upped its gross earnings from N29.71billion in 2010 to N34.99 billion in 2011, the same way that GTBank, Access Bank and Skye Bank recorded increases in their gross earnings in the aforementioned years from N82.96 billion to N 9 1 . 8 4 b i l l i o n , N 4 9 . 4 0 b i l l i o n t o N52.46billion and N47.48 billion to N48.93 billion.

Others are Zenith Bank, which gross earnings peaked from N96.85billion in 2010 to N122.83billion in 2010; Ecobank Nigeria from N25.58billion in 2010 to N27.94billion in 2011 and

Firstbank with increased gross earnings from N122.84 billion in 2010 to N139.7billion in 2011.

However, Intercontinental Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc recorded a slight reduction in their gross earnings during the period under review.

Intercontinental Bank recorded gross earnings of N43.696billion in 2010, as against N40.60billion in 2011. Diamond Bank recorded N46.12billion gross earnings in 2010 and N44.08 in 2011. UBA on its part recorded N93.65billion in 2010, as against N87.66billion in 2011.

On the results, the Group Managing Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Yemi Adeola, said the bank has

achieved 11 per cent growth in its gross earnings and recorded 20 per cent in loans and advances (including advances under finance lease).

Adeola said the priority of the bank in the next six months, is to accelerate the creation of risk assets, pursue deeper market penetration of its products to gain a larger share of customer wallet and sustain growth of the retail market.

Also, an ex-banker, Mr Jamiu Ekungba, said the modest growth recorded by the banks in key financial indices, were as a result of the risk management initiatives they have put in place.

He said the banks would witness more growth in the future, as the reforms are underway.

OR the mining sector to achieve its objective of boosting export and creating jobs, it requires N200billion, the Progressive Miners Association of Nigeria (PMAN) has said.

National President of the association, Mr Sunday Ekozin, disclosed this at a briefing in Abuja. He said the amount, which would be given to about 100,000 miners, would help the country stimulate economic activities since about two million direct jobs would be created.

He said:“The amount would be needed by four categories of miners-artisans, small scale miners, medium and the large scale operators, while N1million and N50milion would be needed by artisans and small scale miners to finance their operations.

Their medium and large scale counterparts would need N300million and N1billion.

“To achieve this, the association in partnership with the Nigeria Export Promotion Council had concluded plans to hold a national miners forum. Poverty has made miners and non-miners to start mining because of hardship. But what we want to do is to help those people who are scratching the ground in the name of mining with professional advice.

“The association in partnership with NEPC will host the first national miners forum. The objective is to help sensitise the government and financial institutions. There is the need to galvanise funds to exploit the benefits of this sector.

We are targeting about 100, 000 miners in this country and each of them is expected to create at least 20 jobs, giving us a total of about two million direct jobs.”

Access Bank to buy 75% of Intercontinental

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CCESS Bank Plc said yesterday it will seek shareholders’approval to acquire a 75 per cent stake in rescued rival Intercontinental Bank and use N53 billion ($342.6 million) it had raised in 2007 to fund the transaction.

Access said in a statement that it will hold a shareholders’ meeting on September 26 to okay the transaction. It signed a merger agreement with Intercontinental Bank in July, paving way for the troubled lender to be recapitalised ahead of a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) deadline. Intercontinental was one of nine banks rescued in a $4 billion bailout by the banking watchdog in 2009.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

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BUSINESS NEWS Flight Schedule

‘Nigeria loses $25.5b to illegal mariners’

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HE Federal Government is losing about $25.5 billion yearly as a result of the illegal activities in the nation’s territorial waters.

A member of the Fishery Association of Nigeria (FISAN), Mr Kunle Olukoga, disclosed this to The Nation yesterday.

He also alleged that some vessels involved in illegal bunkering were arrested by security agencies few months ago, but some were quietly cleared without the knowledge of the relevant authorities.

“Based on the available statistics at our disposal, the country currently loses $25.5 billion annually to all kinds of illegal maritime activities in our waters. ‘‘In 2001, this was estimated to be costing the nation some $30 million; by 2003 it had climbed to over N1 billion. The current estimate is some 600,000 barrels daily, worth

By Oluwakemi Dauda

some $14.5 billion. This is more than 10 per cent of nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“Between May 2005 and May 2008, 236 vessels of various types involved in illegal bunkering were arrested and many of them were quietly cleared. The nation’s budget can be increased significantly to provide employment for the youths that are causing trouble across the country If these loopholes are blocked, and the country would be peaceful,’’ Olukoga said.

Investigation has revealed that the huge losses were caused by the absence of adequate policing and inadequacies of security agents on the country’s territorial waters.

Few days back, an alarm was raised by the Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Licensed Customs Ship Chandlers

Association (NLCSCA), Dr. Martins Enebeli, that ship chandlers part with as much as N40, 000 per boat to security agents when going for supply despite clearance from the Nigeria Customs Service.

A senior official of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), who crave anonymity, said the country has a coastline of 420 nautical miles and an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles. ‘’Much of this coastline, he said, is not merely under-piloted, but is relatively under-populated and difficult to access overland. ‘‘And it offers a plethora of locations suitable as temporary bases for gangs of all kinds,’’ he said.

The official said piracy, oil bunkering and midstream discharge, among other illegal activities, that had for long bedeviled the maritime sector and hindered economic and

security development, has been the focus of the NIMASA management in recent times.

A stakeholder in the maritime industry and merchant Navy, Mr Suday Ibidapo said piracy cost the country some $200 million in four years.

He said it has been partly responsible for the decline in the nation’s fishing industry.

“The Federal Government should accord equal recognition to the maritime and aviation sector. Both are very essential and important to the development of the economy.

What one lacks the other has.

Though aviation has the advantage of fast delivery, no one should compare what the ship can carry with that of the plane and that is why the nation’s territorial waters need the necessary monitoring and adequate protection to curb illegal activities going on in its waters,’’ he said.

‘Libya to reassess currency’

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IBYA, which is nearly under the control of rebels seeking to oust Muammar Gaddafi, will take a close look at its currency to determine whether it should be kept and exchange rates maintained, the Central Bank Governor Mohammed al Zarroug Rajab told Arabiya Television.

Rajab was appointed in April after his predecessor left the country, the official Jana News Agency reported at the time.

“In the coming days, we need to reassess the value of the Libyan dinar for the benefit of the Libyan people,” Rajab said in the televised interview, responding to a question over whether the dinar, which features Gaddafi’s face, should be kept.

Rajab, who said that Libya’s assets remained safe, did not elaborate on what he meant by reassessing the currency.

Visafone crashes tariffs

V

ISAFONE, one of the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks in the country, has again crashed its tariffs for within the network calls to less than one kobo per second in its newly introduced package dubbed Fantastic Visa Bundles.

A statement from the company stated: “On these new bundles, customers would make Visafone to Visafone calls at less than one kobo per second and 50k per minute. This product offers three unique packages namely: the weekly bundle package where customers would dial *450*610# to get 50 minutes of Visafone to Visafone calls (on-net calls) for N100 with a validity period of five days. Another offer on the package is the ‘monthly bundle package’. To subscribe, subscribers would dial *450*611# for 300 minutes worth of calls valid for 30 days at N300 only. The third unique package is the “mega bundle package” where customers would dial *450*612# to secure 2000 minutes call time for N1000 with a validity period of 30 days.”

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LAGOS – ABUJA Departure Arrival 1. Aero 06.50 08.10 2. Associated 07.00 09.30 3. Air Nigeria 07.00 08.20 4. IRS 07.00 08.20 5. Dana 07.02 08.22 6. Arik 07.15 08.15 7. Chanchangi 07.15 8. Air Nigeria 08.15 09.35 9. Dana 08.10 09.20 10. Aero 08.45 10.05 11. Arik 09.15 10.15 12. Chanchangi 10.00 11.00 13. IRS 11.15 12.35 14. Dana 12.06 12.26 15. Aero 12.20 13.30 16. Air Nigeria 13.25 14.45 17. Chanchangi 13.30 14.30 18. Arik 13.45 14.45 19. IRS 14.00 15.20 20. Aero 14.10 15.30 21. Air Nigeria 14.50 16.10 22. Dana 15.30 16.50 23. Chanchangi 15.30 16.30 24. Arik 15.50 16.50 25. Aero 16.00 17.20 26. IRS 16.30 17.50 27. Arik 16.50 17.50 28. Dana 17.10 18.30 29. Chanchangi 17.30 18.30 30. Air Nigeria 17.35 18.55 31. Air Nigeria (T/TH) 18.30 19.50 32. Arik 18.45 19.45 33. Aero 19.20 20.40 1.

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• National Key Account Manager, Nigeria Bottling Company, Juliet Ifebueme (middle) flanked by Idika Emmanuel, winner from Abuja (left), Daniel Danjuma, also from Abuja and Imio Hannah from Lagos, during the presentation of flight tickets to winners, at the departure section of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

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Why cement price remains high, by stakeholders S

LAGOS – PORT HARCOURT (CIVIL) 1. Aero 07.15 08.35 2. Arik 07.15 08.35 3. Arik 09.00 10.20 4. Dana 09.27 10.40 5. Aero 10.50 12.30 6. Arik 11.40 13.00 7. Air Nigeria 12.00 13.10 8. IRS 13.30 15.00 9. Arik 14.00 15.20 10. Dana 15.03 16.20 11. Air Nigeria 16.00 17.10 12. Arik 16.10 17.30 13. Aero 16.15 17.30 14. Arik 17.10 18.30

OME stakeholders have attrib uted the recent hike in the price of cement to the high cost of transportation, production and middlemen.

They said this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr Muda Yusuf, said the increase in the price of the product was due to the high cost of transportation and production. ``It is a supply side problem. There are issues about cost which are transportation and production cost. Most of the cement manufacturing firms depend on Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO) and expensive energy sources. ``We have to look at how we can bring down the cost of energy the manufacturers are consuming in the production of cement. ``We have to look at the cost of transportation because most of the movement of cement is by road. ``The trucks don’t use petrol. They make use of diesel and we all know what the cost of diesel is,” Yusuf

said.

He said the price of cement would remain high as long as the energy component of production process remained high.

Yusuf called on the Federal Government to address the fluctuating price of cement by identifying the critical bottlenecks in the supply of the product.

According to Yusuf, the Federal Government should also look its importation. ``I think there are issues of licences. Government needs to look at how equitable it is because this is related to the manufacturers. ``That area should be looked at so that what we are producing locally can be properly augmented with imports,” he said.

A cement seller at Constain area of Lagos, Mr Sylvester Okurume, said the middlemen were selling the product to them at a high price, adding that the high price would be transferred to the consumer.

He also said the middlemen had been hoarding the product to create artificial scarcity and to make the price go up.

Okurume urged the Federal Government to take a drastic step to curb the activities of the middlemen to achieve a stable price of the product.

He said that the variation in the price differed from one location to another.

According to him, in my location, the price of Dangote cement which cost N3,000 last week had drastically reduced to N2,300.

Another retailer on Apapa Road, Mr Jimoh Yusuf, said that the inability of the government to regulate the activities of the middlemen had contributed to the persistent increase in the price of cement.

Yusuf said that the Federal Government in the 1980s set up the price control board that checked hoarding and activities of middlemen. ``But now, there is no board to control activities of the middlemen and that has affected the nation’s economy negatively,” he said.

Nationalised banks reassure workers of job security HE management of Mainstreet Bank and Enter prise Bank, two of the banks which licences were recently revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), have reassured their workers of job security.

They gave the assurance in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Members of staff of the nationalised banks have been asked to fill bio-data forms to indicate their interests in the new banks.

Some of them, who spoke on con-

MONDAY - FRIDAY

dition of anonymity, said the process had been on since August 15.

They said they were afraid that the exercise might be a prelude to the termination of their appointments.

Head, Corporate Affairs Department, Mainstreet Bank Ltd, formerly Afribank, Mr Moshood Isamotu, said the purpose of the forms was to get the necessary data from staff members.

According to him, filling of the forms is a uniform process among the workers of the affected banks.

Isamotu said the forms were ne-

cessitated because of the new management put in place in the bank. ``The form is for the transfer of our staff from the former Afribank to Mainstreet Bank. ``Also, this shows that Afribank is technically dead,” Isamotu said.

Also commenting, Head, Corporate Affairs Department of the Enterprise Bank Ltd, formerly Springbank Plc, Mr Igwe Igwe, assured the workers that there would be no job losses.

Igee said the management of the bank was already working on how

to repackage the bank, adding that the issue of sacking workers did not arise.

The CBN had on August 5 revoked the licences of the three commercial banks, Afribank, Bank PHB and Springbank.

The banks were handed over to the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) which created three bridge banks: Mainstreet Bank, Keystone Bank and Enterprise Bank, to assume the assets and liabilities of the three banks.

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LAGOS – ABUJA SAT/SUN Arik 7.15; 10.20; 2.20; 5.20pm – 7.30; 9.15; 10.20; 2.20; 4.50; 6.45 Aero 07.30; 09.35; 13.10; 14.50; 20.20 – 07.30; 09.35; 13.10; 14.50; 20.20 Air Nigeria 08.15; 14.30; 17.15; 18.30 – 08.15; 13.30; 14.30; 17.15; 18.30

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Borno State has been in the news for the Boko Haram menace. The Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Inuwa Bwala, told TONY AKOWE that the new administration will fulfill its electoral promises in the face of security challenges as it marks 100 days in office next week. He dismissed the call for a state of emergency as misplaced.

‘Situation in Borno doesn’t warrant emergency rule’

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N view of the security challenges that have been faced by your administration, how far has the government gone in fulfilling its electoral promises to the people?

It is unfortunate that Borno, the home of peace, has been taken over by violence. But we thank God that peace is returning to the state. The federal government has adopted the carrot and stick approach to resolving the problem. In Borno, because we don’t have the means to adopt the stick option, we have opted for the carrot option because those who are involved and their victims are our own brothers. We cannot afford to engage in aimless war of attrition with our own brothers. That is why we have opted to dialogue. However, this has not affected our pledge to our people in the first 100 days in office. On assumption of office, the governor promised to drill 100 boreholes across the state and as we speak, we have drilled 78. We have plans to drill the remaining 22 before our 100 days in office. We have commissioned four of the five hospitals we inherited from the past administration. The last one couldn’t be commissioned because the area is water logged and so, accessibility is a problem. Immediately after the rains, we are going to commission it.

Haven’t you considered doing anything on poverty reduction?

We have banned the use of motor cycles for so many reasons and that ban has affected about 7000 motor cycle riders. To alleviate their suffering, we have bought 5000 tricycles which we code-named, Keke Kashim. By the time the Ramadan is over, the tricycles would have gone round. We are giving them away at a highly subsidized rate and we are dealing directly with the end users. In this case, we purchased the tricycles at the cost N350,000 and sell them at the cost of N200,000. They are expected to deposit N500 at the end of each day’s operation and by so doing, they should finish payment after 13 months. This is just one of such programmes.

To boost agriculture, we are selling fertilizers at highly subsidised rate.

The Boko Haram is a faceless group and you are talking dialoguing with them. How do you dialogue with a faceless group?

I think it is wrong to say that the group is faceless because they have been granting interviews to the media. They have been seen on video telling the world what they griev-

‘The issue of people fleeing Borno state is exaggerated. Those states that sent vehicles to evacuate their citizens claiming threat to their lives heightened the tension. They were not being fair to the government and people of Borno State. I live in Borno state and when I tell you that peace is returning, believe me’ • Bwala

ances are. I think, that the problem we are having is that they don’t have sufficient confidence in the system to come out and dialogue with us. They need further reassurance that at the end of the day, they will not be victimized what whatever they may have done. Put yourself in their position in view of their past encounters with the system in the past. Naturally, you will be skeptical when the same system offers to dialogue with you. In our case, we are very honest and sincere with this offer for dialogue. They are not faceless because people have seen them. I think we will soon get to that stage where we will sit down with them and know what their grievances are; know where they can shift grounds on their demands and where government can also shift ground and then, we find a common rendezvous to cohabitate.

People are said to have been fleeing your state. In the face of the security challenges in the state, what assurance is the government giving to them to ensure that they return to their businesses?

The issue of people fleeing Borno state is exaggerated. Those states that sent vehicles to evacuate their citizens claiming threat to their lives heightened the tension. They were not being fair to the government and people of Borno State. I live in Borno state and when I tell you that peace is returning, believe me. However, you must agree with me that suppressing an insurgence of this magnitude is not a tea party and so, you don’t expect to solve it overnight. The biggest businesses have opened, there is no doubt that people are going back. But you cannot also rule out the fact that there are isolated cases. The issue of targeted killing of individuals has dropped by over 90 per cent. The bombing has dropped by over 80 percent. You have to be fair to the government and people of Borno state to the extent that these are dying down. Our prayer is that let it continue to wane for Borno to regain its position as the citadel of peace.

Beyond the promises made for the first 100 days, what other developmental programme do you have in place in the state?

We are planning for the establishment of a Borno State University and we have created a ministry for higher education. If our resources are not hampered by the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage, we will establish it. We are also planning to establish a Borno State newspaper and if our resources can accommodate it. We know that education is the bedrock of any development. We plan to complete some roads earlier earmarked for completion by previous administration. Beyond that, Governor Kashim has initiated very ambitious developmental projects. The development of Borno State is the single most important article of faith for this new administration.

Borno Elders are calling for the withdrawal of the Joint Task Force from the state. Based on the Plateau experience, what will be your stand on this issue?

In its wisdom, the federal government felt that it should deploy the military to Borno State; we had to accept them since the federal government is a superior authority. We are aware that their operations come with certain discomfort for which they are complaining. Of course, no elder will see his children being subjected to certain things and fold his hands. They are worried because they are experiencing military presence on their streets for the first time and so, it is only natural that when they introduce something alien to you. So, their complaint is not out of place. It is also not out of place for the federal government to deploy troupes to that area because they are in total control. Has the JTF in Plateau created any impact? There is a precedent which the federal government is relying on to send troupes to Borno State. I leave the question hanging whether the JTF has created impact in Plateau. But the situation now does not support the call by some people for emergency declaration in the state.

As you begin to experience peace in the state, what would be your appeal to the people of Borno State?

I passionately appeal to our brothers in the state to give peace a chance for development to take place. Whatever may have happened in the past should be regarded as part of the sacrifice we have to make to sustain Borno.

We should see reason with the government to the effect that it has offered dialogue with our aggrieved brothers.

Benue ACN candidate vows not to buckle under pressure

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HE governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Benue State, Prof. Steve Ugbah, has assured members of the party and his supporters that he would not withdraw his petition against Governor Gabriel Suswam at the Election Petitions Tribunal, despite pressure.

He also stated that Suswam and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had no formidable defence for the charges brought against them at the tribunal.

Ugbah accused members of the tribunal of not giving him fair hearing, indicating that he would approach the Court of Appeal in Sokoto, to ensure justice.

Ugbah, who is challenging the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare Suswam winner of the April 26 election, stated these in an interactive session with reporters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He noted that Suswam, PDP and INEC

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

had been filing series of applications before the tribunal, in order to dismiss ACN’s petition on technical grounds, but that he would not be deterred.

Ugbah, in company with the DirectorGeneral of his campaign organisation, Prof. David Fornem, declared that Suswam and the PDP had no serious defence, explaining that the governor and his party would find it extremely difficult to respond to the charges against them.

He said: “There are pressures on me to withdraw my petition from the tribunal.

Although, nobody has approached me, but those around me are being approached to mount pressure on me to surrender my mandate. But no amount of pressure will cause me to surrender my mandate.

“The people of Benue State expressed their decision for a change through the

ballot box and we must respect that. We are confident that at the end of the day, we will prevail.

“I will never betray their trust and I will never trade their mandate away. We are confident that good things are ahead of us.

“Suswam and the PDP are determined to delay the processes of the election tribunal. We know too well that Suswam’s legal team has no defence. The team only seeks dismissal of the petition on technical grounds. We are hoping that the tribunal members will take note of that.”

The ACN’s governorship candidate expressed optimism that the appellate court in Sokoto would reverse the ruling of the tribunal on seven grounds in his petition.

Ugbah also accused the Benue government of intimidating supporters of the ACN in the state, through the demolition of shops of traders and the delay in the payment of salaries to civil servants and traditional rulers.

• Ugbah

14

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

POLITICS Ayo Afolabi is the Secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the Southwest. He spoke with Deputy Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU on the proposed regional economic integration and preparations for the governorship election in Ondo State.

‘Regional economic integration on course in Southwest’

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HAT informed the decision of Southwest governors to integrate the re-

gion?

From the inception, right from the AG, to UPN, SDP, AD, AC days, in the Southwest, the progressive camp has always remained the same. They have always built on the antecedents and legacies of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Our people already know that anytime they are in government, they come up with progressive ideas and people-oriented programmes to lift the life of the people of the Southwest. In April, we were in Abuja to launch the manifestos of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and that manifesto contains what Chief Obafemi Awolowo represented. It contains the vision of the late sage. That is what we have been selling and still selling to the people of Nigeria. Any government that is elected on the platform of the ACN is elected to carry out these programmes to the benefit of the people of Nigeria.

Talking about behaviour characteristics, can these latter-day progressives actually exhibit the character and sacrifices of Awolowo, who did not even live in Government House?

We have had similar experiences in the immediate past. When Chief Akande was governor of Osun State, he lived a very frugal life. A lot of people referred to him as a governor who took akara and palp in the morning, who took yam and beans.

He lived in the Government House.

Since he did not have a house in Osogbo, it was sensible for him to live in the Government House to be able to perform his duties as governor. Chief Akande was one of the most frugal governors ever produced in Nigeria. He is an Awolowo disciple. Today, he is the national chairman of ACN. Asiwaju

Tinubu did a lot of wonderful things in Lagos. He turned the state around. If you look at Osoba, Lam Adesina, Niyi Adebayo, it is that leadership that produced the current crop of governors in our states. The last four years of Governor Babatunde Fashola have been very excellent. Our governors in the Southwest are just imitating that.

They will replicate what Fashola is doing in Lagos State.

Can they also shun avarice, materialism and other forms of corruption as Bisi Onabanjo and Adekunle Ajasin did in Ogun and Ondo States?

We expect them to do so. Look at their dressing. It shows that they are frugal. Kayode Fayemi still dresses the way he used to dress when he was in the NGO world. Aregbesola has not changed from his buba and soro style. They are focused. If there is any sign that they would derail, the party leadership is there to check them. That is the essence of party supremacy and party discipline. The leadership will ensure that they toe the party line so that they can carry out the programmes of the party for the benefit of the people.

What could have been the justification for failing to quickly set up the envisaged cabinet of talents? i will explain the circumstances in Osun State. Engineer Rauf Aregbesola met a state that he could not run successfully as a progressive governor should run a state. The PDP was in majority in the House of Assembly. The PDP said that they wanted to have slots in the cabinet on equal basis. I don’t know where a governor shares his cabinet with the opposition. it is the prerogative of the governor to send the list of nominees for commissionership to the House so that the House can examine them on their own merit.

Aregbesola could not go ahead be-

• Afolabi

cause the House was not going to cooperate. He was barely a month in office when the PDP was bent on impeaching him because of the majority they had in the House of Assembly. He had a very unfriendly House.

The only thing that stemmed from that was that the vast majority of the people of Osun State were behind the governor. Elections were on the way. What the governor did was to wait till the end of the election. Out, every after the election, it still took time before the executive council was constituted. `By April, ACN had won the two-thirds of seats in the House of Assembly.

But there were issues. Osun State has the highest number of major towns in Nigeria. Osun State is the only place where everybody lives in the cities and towns. Everybody wants to put his or her daughter in the cabinet. They thought that was the only way they could benefit. If

you look at the purse of Osun State, it does not have much in terms of revenue. It is lowest paid in terms of revenue from the Federation Account. it is one of the lowest in terms of internally generated revenue. So, instead of looking at people who would have political positions, offices and benefits in terms of what they earn, Governor Aregbesola started to restructure the ministries in a way that would make it possible to run a government that would not only be austere in nature, but that would also turn the economic viability of Osun State around, so that there would be enough to fund developmental projects. If governance is just about paying salaries, you don’t have business being there because anybody can just do that. For his administration to benefit the people of Osun State, he needed and still needs to embark on capital projects.

So, he had to delay screening the people in order to get the right people into office and also move around and decide on projects that could turn the fortune of Osun State around.

What are the elements of the proposed regional economic integration being mooted by the Southwest governors?

The governors have done well by coming up with the idea of regional economic integration programme.

The programme is designed to assist the governors in tapping from the resources of the states having comparative advantage. Lagos has comparative advantage in some areas. Osun State has comparative advantages in some areas. Ondo State has comparative advantages in some areas. The coming together of these states to look at their economic situations, infrastructural needs of the people is essential. It cannot be accomplished in two days. It in-

volves setting up proper structures that would stand the test of time.

They have set up a committee that would meet and set up parameters on areas of cooperation between the states.

Some are afraid that the integration will affect autonomy conferred on the states by the constitution.

They are all independent states on their own. Each has its separate problems. Each will see the situation from a different perspectives. So, there has to be a super structure that will identify areas of cooperation. Two meetings have been held and in the last meeting, it was decided that Edo and Delta states, which were part of the old Western Region, should come in. I for see a situation in the future where the integrating states in the Southwest would have their own railway networks. The states that are agriculturally viable would take advantage of the integration. Lagos has a huge population. They should be able to ‘export’ the agricultural products to Lagos. Oyo State has enough land for animal husbandry.

We don’t need to look elsewhere in Yorubaland to feed.

Last year, those who usually bring pepper, tomato, cows and goats from the northern part of the country held the Southwest to ransom when they had strike. They said they would not bring the food. We have enough arable land in the Southwest to be able to feed ourselves. Part of the agenda of integration is food sufficiency and security. So, there is the need for planning before you start execution.

What is the plan of ACN for Ondo State in 2013?

God willing, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) will work tirelessly to take over the government of Ondo State so that, as far as this region is concerned, there is only one party at the helm of affairs, from Lagos to Delta states.

Council polls aspirants seek support

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AGOS State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN chairmanship and councillorship aspirants have jetted out of the country for the lesser haji in Saudi Arabia, where they hope to mount pressure on party leaders to tilt the pendulum of victory towards their direction during the selection process.

Already, top party leaders, who are Muslims, are in Mecca for fasting and prayer. The aspirants are selling their candidature to them to gain an advantage in the proposed shadow poll, which will herald the October 22 elections.

Sources said that the aspirants are mounting pressures on the party leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, Alhaji Ganiyu Badmis, Pa Abiodun Sunmola, Hon. Bayo Osinnowo, and other leaders, who are expected to be in the Holy Land.

A chairmanship aspirant told our correspondent in Ikeja: “Many of our leaders are already there. (Mecca). Aspirants, who are not leaving anything to chances, are going to meet them. There will be frank discussions and many political decisions would definitely be taken”.

One of the issues expected to be on agenda is the review of the endorsement of some chairmen for second term by zonal leaders. For example, the Vice-Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) in Lagos State, Chief Abiodun Adeseye, has described the media report that the Lagos Central Senatorial District has endorsed the Vice Chairman of

By Emmanuel Oladesu

Surulere Local Government, Mr Tajudeen Ajide, as the party candidate for the October 22 , local government election as false.

He stated that the party screening exercise has just started today and will last till September 6 2011, wondering any aspirant could be picked as candidate before screening, this he said could be suicidal and can lead to violent conflict and party acrimony in our local. He warned that people should desist from that party in bad light in the public. Our party has enjoyed the support of the teeming Lagosians and such should maintain.

Engr Adeseye in a press statement stated that it is only the Governors Advisory Council (GAC) that has the authority to return the Chairmanship candidate of any local government that is in question but further stated that Surulere Local Government Chairman is not in question “It is the Governor Advisory Council that has the sole authority to return the Chairmanship candidate of any local government that is in question but our dear Surulere Local Government is not in question”.

The politician also stated that the ACN guideline says that any Local Government Chairman who is on a first term should be returned for the second term , adding that the chairman of surulere Local Government , Dr Rasaq Oyesegun Folami is serving out is first term and deserves to be returned for a second term.

Engr Adeseye also disclosed that Dr Folami performed creditably well

during his outgoing tenure in the area of Education, Health, Security, Environment, Public Private Partnership (PPP),Employment generation, works and infrast-ructural development and sports development , information and community mobilization, contributing to the development of Local Government civil service, contribution to the executive and legislative arm, and the Party, among others.

On the alleged return of some Local Government Chairman during the Lagos Central Senatorial District meeting, Engr Adeseye disclosed that the said Lagos Central Senatorial District meeting did not reached any agreement on any candidate since the meeting was inconclusive. “ Let me state here that during the Lagos Central Senatorial District meeting some leaders came with some list of candidate which I and Alhaji Lateef Odunsi Party Leader in Surulere voluntarily opposed, therefore , I don’t know where and how they got the so name been touted”.

He however agreed that there is an existing arrangement on the issue in Coker Aguda LCDA on who will be the party’s choice as regard the Chairmanship.

Engr. Adeseye implored all party members to remain calm and disregard all inflammatory statements being made by some leaders who are hell bent on causing disaffection among party members in Surulere Local Government, stressing that the unity of the party is very paramount as the Local Government election in Lagos State are fast approaching.

• Governor Jonah Jang of Pleateau State (right) and his wife Mrs Talatu Jang on arrival at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos on his way to an overseas trip ... last week.

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE

Osaze’s ankle isn’t Eagles skip Monday okay, says Hodgson morning training Pg. 16

Pg. 49

Nation Tuesday, August 30, 2011

PAGE 15

MADAGASCAR V NIGERIA Pg. 16

•Mikel

Mikel, Nsofor hit camp

Ahmed Musa, Yusuf Ayila, four others too Full house expected today

TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

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49

NATION SPORT

NATION SPORT

MANU’S GOLDEN EAGLETS JOB

Babangida salutes NFF

F

ORMER Super Eagles striker, Tijani Babangida has lauded the decision of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to appoint Garba Manu as the Coach of the Golden Eaglets.

• Babangida

Babangida also expressed confidence in the combination of Manu with former internationals, Emmanuel Amuneke and Nduka Ugbade.

He however urged the team to go round the nooks and crannies of the country to scout for players that are within the age bracket, who are willing and capable of representing the country in the nearest future.

“The Nigeria Football Federation has done a great job by appointing Garba Manu as the head of the Golden Eaglets. With the experience of Garba with his club Gombe United and the combination of exinternationals, Armunike and Ugbade who have played the game at the highest level, I have no doubt in my mind this team of dedicated young coaches will succeed.

“All they need do is to go round the shores of the country in search of raw and young talents who will represent the country in future. With dedication and support from the team and Nigerians, the team will be successful,” Babangida said.

2011 FEDERATION CUP

Nwachukwu, Salami relive historic goals

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FTER ensuring that their two goals handed Heartland of Owerri a berth at the 2011 Federation Cup final at the expense of Bayelsa United, the duo of Obinna Nwachukwu and Kingsley Salami have described their goals as historic and memorable.

Speaking with SportingLife Sunday morning on their way back to Owerri, the duo opined that the Naze Millionaires have become irrepressible to any team and would still ‘crush’ any of the winners of the Enyimba versus Ocean Boys game in the other semi final tie.

Obinna Nwachukwu, who got his first goal for Heartland in the club’s crucial 1-0 win over Dolphins told SportingLife that he attributes his second strike for the Owerri-based club to God. “I thank God and he is solely responsible for this goal. I will continue to thank him. We are in the final and we won’t be carried away by our feat.

We are in the final to win it. That is our conviction and that is what we plan to get by God’s grace. We don’t want to be second best again,”Nwachukwu stated.

Kingsley Salami’s goal was the match winner on Saturday and the former Under 20 International expressed his delight at scoring his first goal of the season.

He said: ”I am extremely happy to have found the back of the net for the first time this season. The goal was a nice interchange of passes from me and Bello Kofarmata. It was initiated from the defence and Bello gave me a telling pass which I made good use of before turning a low shot beyond the reach of

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri Bayelsa United’s goal keeper. We promise to surprise our opponent in the final.”

Also speaking was the former Kano Pillars ace striker, Bello whose assist led to the second goal. Bello stated that the win over Bayelsa was a welcome development and that it would be difficult for any team to stop Heartland march to cup victory now.

Besides goals from Nwachukwu and Salami Bayelsa United reduced the arrears through Uche Iheagbulam to make the tie a respectable 2-1.

Heartland awaits the winner of Ocean Boys and Enyimba who are scheduled to play the other semi final tie.

Osaze’s ankle isn’t okay, says Hodgson

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EST Bromwich Albion boss Roy Hodgson admits Peter Odemwingie has suffered an ankle injury setback.

After defeat to Stoke City, Albion’s woe was compounded by the news striker Odemwingie has suffered a reaction to his ankle problem suffered during pre-season.

Hodgson said: “How serious it is, we don’t know. He played last Saturday for 10 minutes against Chelsea, he trained Monday-Tuesday, then we had two days off.

“When we came back in, the ankle injury was plaguing him again. I’ll have to wait and see. I thought on Tuesday when I left the training ground that he would be fit at the weekend.

“But his ankle isn’t okay and we will have to wait and see when it will be.”

Albion hope Peter Odemwingie will be fit to face Norwich in their next Premier League match after the striker was hit with a recurrence of his ankle injury.

Odemwingie sat out Sunday’s Hawthorns defeat to Stoke after his ankle problems returned on the eve of the game. But the Baggies are optimistic the 30-year-old will recover in time to face Norwich at Carrow Road on September 11.

Boss Roy Hodgson confirmed: “He played for the final 15 minutes last Saturday and trained on Monday and Tuesday. He then had two days off and when he came back his injury was plaguing him again so we’ll have to wait and see what happens.

“Having played (at Chelsea) and trained, I thought his ankle would be OK. But it isn’t so we’ll have to wait and see when it will be.

Hodgson is erring on the side of caution regarding a comeback date for Peter Odemwingie - but insisted Jerome Thomas is going nowhere.

Odemwingie was left out of Sunday’s late defeat by Stoke as a precaution after suffering a minor reaction to the ankle injury which forced him to miss the opening game of the season against Manchester United.

Last season’s 15-goal top scorer will continue to undergo treatment during the international break in the

AHEAD OF MADAGASCAR V NIGERIA

Mikel, Nsofor hit camp • Ahmed Musa, Yusuf Ayila, four others too • Full house expected today (yesterday). Okonkwo not here

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• Osaze hope he will be fit to return for Albion’s game at Norwich in two weeks’ time.

But Hodgson stopped short of confirming whether Odemwingie will be fit for the Carrow Road trip.

HE England-based duo of Victor Anichebe and John Mikel Obi are the first to arrive in the camp of Nigeria’s Super Eagles in Abuja.

Anichebe and Mikel arrived the team’s camp on Sunday ahead of the September 4 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying against Madagascar.

Other players to have arrived

by Monday afternoon include, Obinna Nsofor (Locomotiv Moscow), Dele Adeleye (Metalurh Donetsk), Yusuf Ayila and Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kiev). Fengor Ogude and Ahmed Musa have also arrived. “(John) Mikel Obi and Victor

Anichebe were the first two to arrive Super Eagles hotel. Most are expected in by lunch time

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EARTLAND defender Chibuzor Okonkwo may pull out of the Super Eagles’ trip to Madagascar as he is still away on trials in Ukraine.

Turkey-based midfielder Promise Isaac could be a likely replacement for Uche, but Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia disclosed he will have a clearer picture of Okonkwo’s availability only after he has met with

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have earned his first cap for the Dutch giants and hopes more will follow this season.

“It was a good opportunity to play even if it was for a few minutes. I’m looking forward to play more games for the team and I will continue to work hard to get more games,” said the former Sporting Lisbon man.

The former Gateway FC attacking midfielder joined PSV Eindhoven last season after impressing Fred Rutten.

But Rabiu could not make his debut last term due to delay in securing a work permit coupled with an injury.

sign-on fees negotiated before the start of the season.

The players in unison urged Governor Amaechi to beam his searchlight on their current travails in order to bring to book the perpetrators of the act. They also alleged that the same thing happened last season when they got their entitlements but they couldn’t complain for fear of victimisation.

“We are happy for the release of our monies by the sports-loving Governor, Rotimi Amaechi but we

are not happy at the arbitrary way which our hard-earned monies have been deducted without genuine reasons.

“We will like the Governor to investigate what could have led to the deductions because we actually worked for it. It is our sweat and it is still a mystery to us that it could happen that way,” a spokesperson for the three teams told SportingLife.

It would be recalled that Governor Amaechi last week released monies meant for the sign-on fees of Dolphins, Sharks and Rivers Angel for almost all of the 2010/2011 season.

Nkwopara told MTNFootball.com that Okonkwo, who has tied down the Eagles’ right full-back position, is away on trials in Ukraine with Kryvbas.

The player therefore missed his club’s Federation Cup semi-final against Bayelsa United. Heartland won 2-1 to qualify for the cup final.

The former Bayelsa United star has been shopping for a foreign club in the past two years and has tried out in France, Turkey and Russia.

IGERIA’S Super Eagles did not hold any training session on Monday morning in Abuja ahead of their 2012 Africa Cup of Nations against Madagascar on Sunday.

As at Monday morning just two players, Victor Anichebe of Everton and John Mikel Obi of Chelsea had arrived the team’s camp in the Nigerian capital.

However, the Nigerian men’s senior team is expected to hold two training sessions in the morning and evening of Tuesday.

The Super Eagles will leave the country on Wednesday ahead of their game against Madagascar at the Mahamasina Stadium in Antananarivo.

The Nigerians are currently second in Group B of the Africa Cup of Nations qualification behind Guinea.

• Hails his match winner for Torino From Tunde Liadi, Owerri

2012 AFCON in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, all the members of the team should take the tie in Antananarivo as a crucial one, as a triumph in Sunday’s game would be a boost for another win or bust encounter against the Syli Stars of Guinea in October.

“Nigeria is playing Madagascar this weekend yeah everybody is aware of that. I am wishing them luck and I am praying that they defeat them (Madagascar). It won’t be an easy one but I see the Super Eagles having the better of their opponent after 90 minutes not minding the hostile reception and the unplayable field they may likely use for the match.

“It will be a sad experience to miss out on the 2012 AFCON and I believe every effort is being geared toward getting the three points.”

The AC Milan loan star to Torino also took time off to reflect on his debut goal for his new club which proved to be the strike that landed his team all points in the first match of the Serie B. “I had a very good match in our first match in the Serie B. I got the winning goal and my overall outing in the match, I was told was awesome. I will continue to do my best to ensure that Torino gains promotion back to Serie A because that is where the club belongs. The goal is just by way of kick starting the season and I hope it will turn out good for me and my club.”

Emenike not satisfied with debut goal

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IGERIA striker Emmanuel Emenike shared on his thoughts on the 2-2 draw with city rivals, CSKA Moscow on Sunday.

Emenike scored his first goal for the red and white. ‘’We are tuned only to win and then to fight to the final whistle. Unfortunately, our team was unable to take the three points. The result was a draw. The game was very tight: very few free zones, where it was possible to break into. ‘’I can not say that psychologically, I am satisfied. Is it possible to be rated only by one goal? There are still a lot of games in the championship for Spartak Moscow. I hope to score many goals in them and bring benefit to our team, ‘’ Emenike told the official website of Spartak Moscow .

DAEGU 2011 WOMEN’S 100M FINAL

Jeter jets to gold as Okagbare places Fifth

LESSING Okagbare yesterday placed fifth in the finals of the 100m event of the 13th IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea to signal her arrival in the big league of global sprinters. She clocked 11.12 in the race blighted by a -1.4ms headwind.

American Carmelita Jeter (10.90) won the gold while Veronica Campbell-Brown (10.97) and ShellyAnn Baptiste of Trinidad and Tobago (10.98) settled for the silver and bronze medals respectively. Another Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.98) was fourth in the race described as coming from a field of the very best in the event at the world right now.

“Looking at the field, nobody expected her to win the race. Our target coming here was to achieve a final placement for the two of the sprinters we entered for the 100m. We are satisfied that Blessing made it to the final to race amongst the very best sprinters of the world at the moment,” observed the Athletics Federation of Nigeria president, Solomon Ogba, last night.

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• Urge Ameachi to investigate From Tunde Liadi, Owerri

his backroom staff.

West Bromwich Albion striker Osaze Odemwingie was the first to withdraw from the Madagascar game on Sunday as a result of an ankle injury.

Eagles assistant coach Ike Shorunmu also told MTNFootball.com that Kalu Uche has been excused so as to settle down at his new Swiss club Neuchatel Xamax.

Heartland spokesman Cajetan

Eagles skip Monday morning training

Sign-on fees payment: Rivers clubs allege deductions LAYERS and officials of the three clubs in Rivers State campaigning in the top divisions, Dolphins FC, Sharks FC and Rivers Angels FC have urged Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to investigate deductions allegedly made from the sign-on fees paid to them recently through the Rivers State Sports Ministry.

Some members of the clubs, who preffered to remain anonymous, alleged to SportingLife that they were shocked when they collected their cheques only to notice that deductions had been made from the sign-on fees paid to them, and that the money was a far cry from the

C Torino of Italy player, Nnamdi Oduamadi, has tipped the Super Eagles of Nigeria to fly over the Berea of Madagascar in this weekend’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Antananarivo.

Oduamadi, in a chat from his base Sunday night, disclosed that the Eagles have all what it takes to put Madagascar to the sword irrespective of the level of hostility presented by the home team.

He reckoned that since the nation could not afford to miss out on the

Promise may replace Okonkwo

Rabiu finally makes PSV debut IGERIA Under 23 midfielder, Rabiu Ibrahim, on Sunday made his debut for Dutch Eredivisie side, PSV Eindhoven on Sunday.

The 20-year-old made a 12thminute appearance in PSV Eindhoven’s 6-1 win over Excelsior.

The Nigerian replaced the impressive Zakaria Labyad on 78 minutes of the game at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven.

Rabiu as he is commonly called showed glimpses of himself as he sprayed pin-point passes that have characterised his game.

The player said he is happy to

yet,” Super Eagles spokesman, Colin Udoh, confirmed to SuperSport.com on Monday.

Oduamadi tips Nigeria to triumph A

• Nigeria's Victor Anichebe, right, and Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Jaman Shuhail Abass challenge for the ball during a friendly match against Saudi Arabia in Wattens, Austria

Earlier in the day, Damola Osayomi who had a 10.99 leading to this Championships failed to go beyond the semi finals, finishing 8th with a slow 11.58 in the race won by Jamaican Kerron Stewart with 11.26. American Marshevet Myers (11.38) was the second qualifier.

In the women 400m hurdles, Ajoke Odumosu ran a season best of 56.23 to place fourth and a place in today’s semis. Running in heat 4, Odumosu got stretched out by the by the duo of Vania Sambolova (55.29) and Ristananna Tracey ( 55.96). She is to run in semi final round with Jamaican Melaine Walker who has a season best of 53.56 and Natelya Antyuckh also with a 53.75.

Just as i took Nigerian medic to revive Odumosu after her race in Berlin, Germany two years ago, it took the pair of Dr Ken Anugweje and Dayo Oluwarantimi, a physiotherapist to get her back to her feet.

Pardew: Sammy Ameobi’s talent is frightening

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EWCASTLE United boss Alan Pardew is convinced of big things from Sammy Ameobi.

The Nigeria prospect is the kid brother of Shola Ameobi.

Pardew said: “When I came, I didn’t know Shola had a brother,” Pardew admitted. “Sammy is a lad you have to take to as a person. He’s a lovely lad.

“His ability is frightening at times – even we’re astonished at some of the things he wriggles out of. He’s Mr Slippery!

“He’s going to make an impact this year coming off the bench. He could get 10 or 15 games if he progresses.”

• Ameobi

Ighalo tastes defeat on La Liga debut

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NDER 23 international, Odion Ighalo made an unhappy debut in Spain’s top flight as Granada lost 1-0 at home to newly promoted Real Betis Balompie on Saturday.

Over 22,000 fans turned out to watch Granada’s first game in La Liga in over two decades but it turned out to be a day of gloom for the home supporters as a clinical header from Rueben Castro, four minutes from time left the Los Carmenes Andalusia stunned.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Ighalo though; the forceful striker enjoyed a good game and almost scored a spectacular goal on the hour but his howitzer from 25 yards just fizzed wide.

Granada will take heart from the defeat as they enjoyed some happy spells in the defeat to Betis.

Next up for Fabri Gonzalez’ men is a daunting trip to the Estadio La Rosaleda for a date with Spain’s new money men, Malaga on September 11.

• Ighalo

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

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SPECIAL REPORT

Eight remarkable years of Glo in Nigeria Nigeria’s second National Carrier, Globacom entered into the telecoms terrain on August 29, 2003 with its legendary Per Second Billing (PSB) system, which changed the face of telecommunications in the country. ANIEFIOK IKOH writes that eight years on the company is still at the forefront of revolution and ICT advancement in Nigeria

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IGERIA was at the crossroads when Globacom showed up on the scene two years after Global System for Mobile (GSM) operations began. At that time, the telecoms terrain was still rough and rocky for the subscriber and the potential subscriber; tariffs were prohibitive.

Nigerians, who are culturally very warm people, love to greet and talk, but the epileptic services at that time made conversations difficult and Nigerians became a “yes…, no…,” people on the phone.

The epileptic services combined with the high tariff of N50 per minute to make use of the telephone more of annoyance than pleasure. Often a call would drop just a few seconds after connection and that meant N50 already spent even for a call that lasted just five or less seconds. The joy of having the telephone was nearly marred by the resulting fury and frustrations; many fought at public phone kiosks (or umbrellas) and some almost lost their lives.

Indeed, coverage was limited to a few cities. It was into this landscape that Glo was born on August 29, 2003.

The first set of licences were issued for the operation of mobile telephony using the General System for Mobile (GSM) – protocol in 2000 at $284 million with two companies setting up shop and commencing operations in 2001.

Econet Wireless (now Airtel) in June and Multinational Telecommunications Network, better known as MTN in August, were providing mobile telephony services to a limited area of the country. A third Operator Mtel, was tagging along, albeit sluggishly.

Before the establishment of the GSM market, the national carrier, NITEL, enjoyed unfettered monopoly. But the new lease of life began with the deregulation of telecommunications services in 1992 through the promulgation of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Decree, No. 75 of 1992, introducing private participation in the provision of telecommunications services in Nigeria, thus ending the state-owned NITEL’s monopoly of the sector and ushering in competition.

After the roll-out of MTN, Econet and Mtel, teledensity rose rapidly and consistently from 0.49. Telephone lines became easier to obtain and service quality moved up some notches. Generally, it was a difference between light and darkness, but it was not yet Uhuru.

All but one of the companies that applied for operating licences got licences and began operations. CIL lost its bid to become an operator in the new GSM dispensation.

Globacom, the fourth entrant into the field, rose from the ashes of CIL and was eventually awarded the Second National Operator (SNO) licence in 2002, to provide telecommunications services under the following categories: Digital Mobile Licence (GSM), National Carrier Licence (Fixed and Fixed wireless), International Gateway Licence and Online services. The company was offered a licence as a National Operator, the second National operator after NITEL. It rolled out its mobile service, Glo Mobile on August 29, 2003 with pocket-friendly offerings, which immediately endeared the network to the people.

The impact of the entry of Globacom into the market was immediate and far-reaching. The new entrant immediately began to charge per second thereby enabling Nigerians to make calls with ease, without pains. Competition followed suit. The market pacified and nerves were calmed. Also soon after, Globacom introduced the N1 SIM, thereby lowering entry point into telephone ownership. I remember I bought my first line (not Glo) for N30, 000 and I was offered a very low grade handset with the starter pack.

Eight years on, Nigerians are still grateful to Globacom for forcing down the cost of acquisition, and tariffs for telecoms services. But that was just the beginning in a long list of innovations to be introduced by the wholly indigenous network owned by business mogul, Mike Adenuga.

The company rolled out on superior, more up-to-date technology and catalysed the technological development of the telecoms sector. From the legacy technology that was the standard before Glo came, Adenuga’s company was instrumental to the upgrading of network technology in the industry and the introduction of contemporary value added services in the sector.

Glo rolled out on a 2.5G network when the industry standard was 2G. With this advantage, Glo was able to roll out a variety of Value Added products, such as Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS), text to email, Magic Plus, vehicle tracking, M-Banking etc. while the network in August 2006 became the first to launch and operate the Blackberry service in Nigeria.

• Adenuga

The launch of the Blackberry has been said by some to complete the curve of Globacom’s clientele from the poor to the rich. From Classic package to the flagship Maximizer, from voice calls to video conferencing, from multimedia messaging to vehicle tracking.

Glo is said to meet everybody’s need.

In addition to these, Glo was the first to do a public test of the 3G network in June 2008 As if these were not enough, Globacom among all the telecoms firms, is the only one to own and run a submarine cable, which hugs the west coast of Africa and snakes under the Atlantic to Bude in the United Kingdom and with a hub in the United States of America.

Before the landing of Glo 1 as Globacom’s submarine cable is called, in Lagos, the only undersea broadband infrastructure available was the SAT-3, which was jointly owned by several countries in Africa. Glo, therefore, singlehandedly positioned Nigeria on the world technology platform.

Thanks to the contributions of Glo, today, the telecoms sector has made a complete curve from start up. Services are better, products have increased from basic calls to 3G –based video streaming, video

calls, mobile TV and the works. The telecoms market is not just everywhere and available to all income bracket in the country, telecoms services have moved way beyond voice calls. Now Nigerians can track their cars by mobile phone, check their mails on the move, watch TV from their palms, and do banking transactions remotely. It has been a full cycle from no service at all to state-of-the-arts sophistication. Now we wonder how we ever survived not just without the mobile phone, but without telecoms powered communications platforms.

Today, internet is a lot seamless and fluid in homes and offices.

Internet-based communications, such as “pinging”, “tweeting” and “chatting” have almost taken over social communications.

Research, news dissemination and data storage have moved to cyber space and businesses have gone on-line, real time at the speed of light. Thanks to the technological boost that companies like Glo brought into the ICT sphere in Nigeria. The up-to-date infrastructure of the telecoms companies has made everything mobile, from talk to banking, browsing, music, news coverage and dissemination to video.

‘The new entrant immediately began to charge per second thereby enabling Nigerians to make calls with ease, without pains. Competition followed suit. The market pacified and nerves were calmed’

Evidence supports the assertion that Glo led the way in all these advancements. Glo brought the stimulus, the competition and in most cases, was the first to introduce the technology.

The landing of Glo1 and its like has increased bandwidth and speed in the cyber sector. Glo was the first to move up to GPRS, 2.5G, and 3G, networks and currently only Globacom, among the telecoms firms, offer everything under one shop, i.e mobile, fixed, fibre optic backbone, international termination (gateway services), internet service and international fibre optic backbone all under one roof making Globacom the only one-stop telecoms shop in the country. With this, the company seals its dominant place and potential as Nigeria’s joker for telecoms and ICT advancement.

As a Nigerian company, Globacom holds a big promise for the country. If encouraged, the company may be the key to placing the country on the world telecoms infrastructure map and Nigeria may soon become a big hub for telecoms exports. As a country, we may gain more political leverage in the comity of nations with operations not only in Africa but in the middle East and Asia. Nigeria may then become a voice in the world, doing for the world’s largest black nation, what Aljazeera has done for Qatar and the Arab World, what Nokia has done for Finland, what DSTV has done for South Africa. Instead of the country wasting funds on white elephant dreams like the NIGOMSAT telecoms satellite that crashed a few years ago, encouragement to indigenous companies may be a better way to go in our search for a voice in the world.

Such encouragement should come in the form of protection from political harassment, protection from harmful external competition and rebates on the basis of being an indigenous entity.

South Africa is another example of a country that protects its own.

I do not know which big Nigerian corporate entity has been able to compete on an even turf in South Africa, without coming against huge opposition and negative sentiments if not outright hostility. While we do not advocate a tit for tat with our neighbours and hostility against foreign investments, we should at least offer some advantage to local operators that show promise.

Every country , including the biggest free nation, the USA protects its indigenous corporations like it did against the Japanese car manufacturers some years back .

Such playing field for indigenous firms will see such firms making more profit that remains in the country and not flighted abroad; and will see such companies spending on local projects that will better the collective fortunes of the people, which is exactly what Glo is doing- sponsoring the national teams among other things to bring further pride to the nation. The strides of Globacom definitely are strides for Nigeria

ICT Minister promises to transform Nigerian economy

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MINISTER of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, has assured that the newly-created ministry under her will ensure the country leapfrog from a resourcedependent economy to a knowledge-based one.

The World Development Report says for countries in the vanguard of the world economy, the balance between knowledge and resources has shifted towards the former, so

By Adline Atili

far that knowledge has become the most important factor determining standard of living, more than land, tools, and labour.

Speaking at the weekend at a forum in Lagos, Mrs Johnson said though the nation has had tremendous success in telecommunications as a result of liberalisation of the sector, the same cannot be said for the Information Technology

(IT) sector, which had lagged behind many nations for years.

According to her, despite overtaking South Africa to become the largest telecom market in Africa, Nigeria’s ICT sector accounts for only 3.5 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared with South Africa’s 10 per cent.

She noted that the success of the telecoms sector is in reality, in voice communication, saying there was the need to move to increase

data services and penetrate the rural and semi-urban areas to drive further growth.

Aware of the critical role of ICT in national development and competitiveness, the minister said the opportunity for Nigeria lay in building a more robust and successful IT industry to enable cost effective access to communications infrastructure.

Mrs Johnson said the mandate of the ministry in building a successful IT industry will include facilitating

universal, ubiquitous and cost effective access to communications infrastructure including a national fibre optic backbone.

She added that the administration would also focus on promoting the utilisation of ICT in all spheres of life to optimise the communications infrastructure; increasing the contribution of the industry to the GDP and deploying ICT to drive transparency in governance and service delivery.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

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EDITORIAL/OPINION COMMENT

EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

The shortage of vital drugs

As Ramadan ends...

•The lessons of the past 30 days must go beyond the season

USLMIS all over the world ended their fasting yesterday. For 30 days, the adherents of the Islamic religion observed the divine duty as compulsorily decreed by Allah. Fasting in Islam is an annual duty to be performed by obedient Muslims. No excuse is tenable against fasting when a Muslim is in good condition of health and is not embarking on a long journey. The essence of fasting is to make the faithful observe in flesh and spirit, at least in those 30 days, what the needy and the downtrodden feel almost all the time. Fasting also has puritanical value; it helps in purging adherents of human and spiritual afflictions.

During fasting, Muslims are expected to be pious; to be abstemious and to abstain from acts, utterances and conducts that could make their sins unforgivable

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‘In the spirit of Ramadan, we call on the governments, institutions and the people to have an attitudinal change that would not negate the commandments of Allah. The unscrupulous conducts and actions usually preceding the holy month of Ramadan have taken the country to nowhere. What should be done now is to continue to practice and sustain the pious attitudes learnt during Ramadan for the sake of all’

by Almighty Allah. Eid is known as the holy month. It is a time for the affluent to be charitable to those in need; celebrate and give thanks to Allah with friends and relations for witnessing the end of the month of blessings and joy. Muslims who are privileged are compulsorily expected to offer sadaqah al-fitr.

It is doubtful whether most Muslims adhere to these divinely ordered rules embedded in fasting, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. The others are: observance of daily five times prayers; offering of sakat; performance of hajj by those who could afford it (at least once in a lifetime), and more importantly, utmost and unflinching belief in Almighty Allah.

The question to ask is whether indeed Muslims and even non-Muslims must wait till the fasting month before they could embrace goodness; to themselves and more importantly to their neighbours. The answer is ‘no’, since all human beings are expected to be their brother’s keeper and should cultivate and indulge in things that would make the community and the entire world one peaceful place for all to live in.

During fasting, people jettisoned worldly pleasures and vanities by conforming to all the norms of God. Surprisingly thereafter, they revert to their old ways, playing pranks with one another and engaging in acts that are not Godly.

What has become a routine at individual and family levels has shamefully assumed official dimension. Government, through public officials now engage in acts and actions that are forbidden by

Allah. Corruption, avarice, mismanagement and inimical policies that have left the people in the lurch are the proclivity of those elected to govern the country.

Rather than embrace the virtues of Ramadan by espousing selflessness, these vices unfortunately dominate the terrain of governance in the nation.

In the spirit of Ramadan, we call on the governments, institutions and the people to have an attitudinal change that would not negate the commandments of Allah.

The unscrupulous conducts and actions usually preceding the holy month of Ramadan have taken the country to nowhere. What should be done now is to continue to practice and sustain the pious attitudes learnt during Ramadan for the sake of all.

The nation is bedevilled by insecurity, arising especially for now from the activities of some Islamic fundamentalists going by the name Boko Haram. They even contravene the will of Allah by bombing fellow human beings even during the month of Ramadan. Their actions are doing the peaceful Islamic religion great damage. We however take solace in the fact that there are reasonable and lawabiding Muslims in the country who are averse to such destructive acts.

The talk of re-branding Nigeria must start with official efforts of restoring security to the country and also adhering to the tenets of Allah by both Muslims and non-Muslims. These are realisable only if stakeholders in the nation’s project are honest with themselves, as many Muslims professed during the Ramadan period.

Benevolent governor •Lamido deserves praise for his unusual concern for the physically challenged

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N a rare show of compassion, Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State has assured the physically challenged persons in the state of a monthly security allowance of N7,500 each per month. This must be good news for this category of people who are often neglected in this part of the world, or at best remembered by those in positions of authority only at festive seasons. It is particularly significant in this season of Ramadan, when Muslims worldwide have just observed a 30-day fasting. It is in the spirit of the season.

But the governor has not just started to take care of the physically challenged. He has always been supportive of them and some of them had so testified. One of the physically challenged who spoke of lamido’s compassion, Alhaji Adamu Jigawartsada, a member of the state house of assembly, said he was a beggar between Lagos and Ibadan until the governor took him off the streets, and off begging, and made him to be sitting among people that matter in the state.

According to him, it was Governor Lamido who bought a nomination form for him to enable him contest in the state house of assembly election, as well as gave him the needed support that saw him through. “He told me categorically that he wanted me to represent the physically challenged in the assembly. That is why he bought the form for me, and that’s how I contested and won,” Alhaji

Jigawartsada said.

Another person the governor removed from the streets is Alhaji Garba Nakore, chairman of the deaf in the state, who said he was sleeping under the bridges also between Lagos and Ibadan, but had to return home when he realised that they now have a governor who cares for the physically challenged. “I have only one wife. But since I came back home, I have added another, making them two because my living condition has improved. So, anybody who said he is opposing Lamido, we are also going to oppose that person or group,” he said.

We may disapprove of what Alhaji Nakore has done with his improved status, for example his decision to take another wife, instead of doing something better with the allowance, but the operational words here are that he took that decision “because my living condition has improved”.

This is part of the essence of life; it is no use to just be existing. Begging dehumanises; it makes the beggar an inferior citizen and leaves him or her at the mercy of the kind-hearted in the society,even as it kills the potential in the physically challenged. The truth of the matter is that there is hardly any physically challenged person that cannot find something worthwhile to do.

As a matter of fact, some of the organisations under which they operate have as their motto, ‘there is ability in disabil-

ity’. This should be the spirit behind whatever help or compassion we show to them. It is better to teach people how to fish than continue to give them fish.

Nonetheless, we commend Governor Lamido for this exemplary show of love and affection towards people that many of us hardly remember, and in fact urge other state governments to emulate him.

The physically challenged should be cared for even much more than we do for the others. When we construct roads or high rise buildings, we should have them in mind; when we establish schools, we should remember them. Whatever we do to make life comfortable for the rest of the society, they should be carried along.

After all, they are stakeholders like other members of the society.

‘Nonetheless, we commend Governor Lamido for this exemplary show of love and affection towards people that many of us hardly remember, and in fact urge other state governments to emulate him.

The physically challenged should be cared for even much more than we do for the others ... Whatever we do to make life comfortable for the rest of the society, they should be carried along’

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WIDESPREAD shortage of prescription drugs is hampering the treatment of patients who have cancer, severe infections and other serious illnesses.

While some Republican politicians have railed against the imaginary threat of rationing under health care reform, Congress has done nothing to alleviate the all-too-real rationing of lifesaving drugs caused by this crisis.

The Food and Drug Administration says that some 180 medically important drugs have been in short supply, many of which are older, cheaper generic drugs administered by injection that have to be kept sterile from contamination.

A survey of 820 hospitals in June by the American Hospital Association found that almost all of them had experienced a shortage of at least one drug in the previous six months and that nearly half had experienced shortages of 21 or more drugs. As a result, more than 80 percent of the hospitals delayed needed treatments, almost 70 percent gave patients a less effective drug, and almost 80 percent rationed or restricted access to drugs.

Although there is limited data on how many patients have been harmed, a survey of 1,800 health care practitioners last year by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices found that a third of the physicians and a fifth of the pharmacists knew of adverse patient outcomes because of shortages, including some deaths from microbes resistant to the backup drugs. Cancer patients receiving less effective drugs may well face increased risks in the future.

Nobody is sure just what is causing the shortages because drug manufacturers are not required to report any reasons to the F.D.A. But several factors are likely to be involved: contamination problems at some manufacturing plants, forcing unexpected production shutdowns; difficulties in getting pharmaceutical ingredients from suppliers, especially those abroad; reluctance to invest in production-line improvement for low-profit generics when highpriced brand-name drugs bring in far higher profits. Sweeping consolidation in the generic drug industry means that fewer companies are left in that market to make up for a shortage.

The shortages are forcing health care providers to buy more expensive products in the absence of cheap generics. Unscrupulous wholesalers have made matters worse by scooping up scarce drugs and offering them to hospitals at mark-ups that often reach 20 times the normal price or more, according to a recent survey.

Beyond limited responses, like using the F.D.A.’s discretionary powers to expedite temporary imports of drugs that are sold overseas but not here, there are very few ways to ease the crisis. For the longer term, bipartisan bills in Congress would require drug makers to give the F.D.A. six months’ warning of problems that might disrupt supplies. For that to work, the penalties for non-compliance would need to be stiff.

Other proposals include a national stockpile of critically important drugs, incentives to encourage the manufacture of generic drugs, and broader powers and additional resources for the F.D.A. to head off looming shortages. Some, perhaps many, Congressional Republicans will inevitably oppose an expansion of the F.D.A.’s regulatory authority. This cannot and must not be a fight over ideology. For many Americans, it is a fight for their lives.

• The New York TImes

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

20

EDITORIAL/OPINION

“200 NAIRA... going... going... going... did I hear someone say ‘CARCASS’?”

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IR: Since the allegation of misconduct was leveled against the Chief Justice of Nigeria (C.J.N.) by the unjustifiably suspended President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Ayo Salami, every attempt to get the issues ventilated and resolved in the Court of Law has been thwarted by various powerful interest groups.

Firstly, when Justice Salami made his allegations under oath and sued the National Judicial Council (NJC) and other key players involved in recommending his ‘promotion’ to the Supreme Court, he was prevailed upon by the top shots in the judiciary and some ‘well meaning’ Nigerians to withdraw the case on the excuse that the recommendation would be later. They also ad-

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Salami: Who is afraid of the court room? vocated the need to prevent the judiciary from being exposed to ridicule which they believed could be the result of such a court process.

However, Justice Salami’s allegations were too serious to be swept under the carpet, forced Also the series of allegations against Justice Salami by those who were at the receiving end of recent appeal tri-

bunal judgments were also lined up for investigation by the panel.

It was obvious from the way the NJC instituted the panel that it would not be fair. In the outcome of its jaundiced panel. And when the panel was practically railroaded into coming out with its report, it fell short of the expectations of most Nigerians. The report was nothing

but a desperate attempt to absolve all the names including that of Katsina-Alu mentioned in the issues investigated, of any wrong doing.

The suspended PCA’s decision not to apologize but to go to court to challenge his indictment would be an opportunity to clear the air of all these allegations and counter – allegations once and for all. What

Clamour for right attitude

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IR: Once upon a time, a tiny little bird was in need of the basic necessities which it could not afford because it was broke. The bird went to the lion to obtain some loan to take care of his needs. The condition for payment was that it would be made when the bird matured physically. After some years, the lion saw the bird and another bird walking side by side down the pathway. The lion went on to meet its debtor (the bird) and asked, “Is this bird your sister?” The bird replied, “No, she is my mother”. The lion walked away in disbelieve, knowing that he has been swindled because he just realised that the particular specie of bird never grow in size, no matter how much it is fed.

Nigeria is building a political archive that may hunt our progenies in time to come. Our forefathers thought us that honesty pays. Somehow, the maxim has thinned out, such that most of today’s children have no idea of what such word means or whether they ever existed. Today’s parenting has been riddled with relegating integrity and moral values, giving way to impatience to the point that we are so much in a rush to see our children go through schools. There have been cases where parents provide financial support for their children to bribe their ways through in life. In civil and public services, those who preach honesty are perceived as old-fashioned and cave dwellers. This library of insincerity is building up as an

inheritance for our innocent children.

We are a people that deliberately refused to plan in order to take advantage of the masses. People who do not plan well rely on wasting resources in the name of growth, when in reality, with proper planning; time and other valuable resources can be saved.Every sane Nigerian has had one form of these moral panic attacks or the other because of our attitude towards proper planning.

The strength of building and stabilising a genuine political structure lies on the electorate, the umpire (in the case of Nigeria, INEC) and the judiciary. Many of our leaders do not believe in Nigeria. So therefore, they may never understand the vision of the

people. Why? You can never exercise faith in what you do not believe. Therefore, faith is taken for granted, and when that happens, you never receive. Whatever we do should be done in the name of everything we believe. Issues we don’t understand will be misapplied and may most likely drag us backward.

We must combat with open truth, because every law founded on selfishness and falsehood is like the time bomb programmed to explode at the doorstep of the mastermind.

We have been trapped by a people who had before now sold us a dummy to believe in their visions and in the process deployed our simplicity to their advantage.

Our justice system has to a large

extent helped resolve some degree of inter and intra party manipulations. They have also helped redefine our stability focus and uprightness in electoral cases where people’s choices were jettisoned to accommodate personal choices. In Edo, Ekiti, Ondo and Osun states, the people’s wishes were substituted for personal wishes. The April, 2011 election has come but not totally gone.

Aggrieved individuals and parties have risen up to challenge alleged injustices meted against them. The judiciary must strive not to fail litigants by delivering sound and objective judgements in all cases before them.

• Smart Osagiede, Benin City.

the NJC should have done is to go and present all the facts and evidences against the former PCA in their disposal (if they have any) in court and let whoever is found culpable be appropriately sanctioned.

Now that Justice Salami has been stylishly and ‘illegally’ shoved out of the judiciary by the NJC in collaboration with President Jonathan, they are once again trying to deny us the opportunity to know the merits and demerits of this high profile case in the court of law.

The notion being canvassed by the top notches in the judiciary, that settling issues between Justice Salami and the CJN in court could rubbish the judiciary is very erroneous and could be counter productive. The rule of law must be allowed to take its full course not minding whose ox is gored. Only then can the credibility of the judiciary be restored.

By consistently trying to frustrate every attempt to settle this matter in court and treating it as a family affair, the NJC is doing more damage to the image of the judiciary than good. The impression one keeps getting is that there is more to these issues than meets the eye and that some very ugly skeletons are in some people’s cupboards which the NJC in collaboration with the PDP led Federal Executive would love to keep permanently under lock and key.

• Odedeyi Adekunle, Matogun Road, Agbado Oke-Aro, Ogun State

Seeking better future for Igala children IR: It was Abraham Lincoln, who said that “the greatness of a society does not lie in the number but in the quality of its citizens”. One of the most valuable things in life is education.

When a man has an education, he or she has power over everything available to him. Today in Igala land, education has disappeared and because of its disappearance, values have also disappeared.

In the light of this truism, the position of Igala youths on the educational realities of today calls for sober reflection and redemptive measures. We are rapidly taking

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rear position in self actualization.

This retrogression is characterized by low educational standard.

There is also gross decline in the Igala children enthusiasm to be schooled and this has resulted in increasing level of illiteracy and half baked graduates. Others among them have accepted the bottom ladder position in menial jobs like security guards, petrol station attendants, okada(motorcycle) riding and bus conducting in urban cities.

Furthermore, the schools in Igala villages are suffering from acute dilapidation. It is a common sight to see children learning under

roofless structures and open huts and such other degrading condition that are unfit and improper for learning environment. In the light of these realities, the question is what does the future holds for Igala youths in the socio-political and economic progression of the state.

Unless there is a reversal of this backward trend, the Igala youths who are the leaders of tomorrow will not be able to face the future with confidence.

It is for this reason and others that i wish to humbly and strongly suggest to all Igala politicians, educationists, professionals, lawyers,

businessmen and women and other well-meaning sons and daughters of our community to henceforth make meaningful investment in our youths.

Firstly, a process of awareness campaign in Igala land should be initiated towards taking positive steps to promote the importance of educational. There should work for the establishment of a Unity school in Igala land for the benefit of Igala youth.

• Ogunche Enechojo Joseph, Universal Basic Education Board FTC Abuja.

21

THE NATION TUESDAY,AUGUST 30, 2011

EDITORIAL/OPINION

F

R

ORMER Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, vacated his high office on August 28 on the low, with dire symbolisms of what stalks a country that makes injustice its core, snapping at his heels.

A lunatic fringe, on August 26, bombed the United Nations House Olakunle in Abuja, to universal outrage.

Abimbola That same day, with no less outlordbeek@yahoo.com, 08054504169 (Sms only, please) rage, the cream of the Bar, following dictates from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), boycotted the induction of new senior advocates of Nigeria (SANs) for 2010 and 2011, incidentally the outgoing CJN’s last official duty. It was a twin put-down that no outgoing CJN needed, but perhaps the retiring CJN richly deserved, natic bombing of the nation’s palladium of justice in the given the scandalous judicial events that plagued his last Salami case? days in office.

Still, it won’t be the first time – and probably won’t be the But if the CJN had preened that he had put the uppity Bar last – President Jonathan would side with glaring outrage in its humble place, purporting to tell the highest echelon and injustice, just because he feels it is convenient. When of the almighty Bench when or when not to induct new Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD), former governor of Ogun SANs, the hideous Abuja blast, in which the UN has conState, turned himself into a constitutional outlaw, by singlefirmed the death of no less than nine treasured staff, conhandedly sacking the Ogun Parliament, the president looked spired to banish the CJN’s last hoorah from its due headelsewhere just because OGD was his campaign coordinator. lines. Might there be a hand of fate in this newsy put-down?

Now, he is playing along in the Salami illegality, with a Perhaps that was it! Perhaps fate used the Abuja blast, cabal in the National Judicial Council (NJC), perhaps betragic, outrageous and utterly condemnable as it was, for a cause it suits his not-so-veiled short-term partisan interests. telling purpose. Perhaps fate used the blast to remind a Still, a nation should tremble at the sight of a president nation always on the drift, and wilfully choosing events to with modest security record, who nevertheless loses no lead it by the nose, and seldom with one voice condemning chance to embrace illegality. Is that not tantamount to fanunfolding injustice to avert future catastrophe, that a lunaning a situation he can hardly handle? tic fringe in the innermost recesses of the Nigerian JudiFour times Abuja, the nation’s capital, has rocked under ciary, under the watch of the former CJN, had blasted the hideous bombings – three of the bombings devastating symsoul of justice in the land. Might the Abuja blast then be a bolisms underscoring a near-impotent state, which nevertip of the sure anarchy to come? theless ripples with outward instruments of coercion. First, But you can trust Jona and his uncritical government to on Nigeria’s Golden Anniversary, perhaps to prove that blow it – for clearly they do not get it, or pretend not to! anniversary was without gold. Then, Louis Edet House, President Goodluck Jonathan was all worry, at the UN House Nigeria Police national headquarters, was breached. And rubble, even attempting a touch of the dramatic by his comnow, it is the UN House in Abuja, the sacred shrine of global bative costume of rolled up shirt sleeves and indifferent peace and security in Nigeria. grey pair of trousers, with baseball cap.

Each time, a president makes a vacuous pledge that his But how could a president be so shattered by this lunatic government is on top of it – until the next blast goes off! bombing of innocent souls, yet he is so comfy with the luShould such a president tolerate injustice, the perception of which give terrorists the phony moral right to slaughter innocent citizens, as the four heinous bombings of Abuja ‘In a spade of 20 months (30 Decem- have shown?

Still, Jona is a politician. Even the best of politicians mouth ber 2009-28 August 2011), the former nothings in support of “justice and fair play”, just to secure mileage. But former CJN Katsina-Alu enjoyed no CJN did enough to earn the legacy of political such alibi. judicial notoriety, if not outright anStill, His Lordship did not seem to realise that, with his seeming devil-may-care impunity as Nigeria’s chief judiarchy, his tenure richly earned’ cial priest – a grand paradox for such personage, who ought

to be the very epitome of due process.

In a way his tenure somewhat echoed the judicial version of the Sani Abacha regime.

Under Gen. Abacha, the government was no more than an executive rogue, at best; or executive brute, at worst. Under KatsinaAlu, the CJN’s office, the way the CJN handled the Sokoto gubernatorial panel controversy and the NJC handled the matter of Justice Isa Ayo Salami, gave itself out as no more than a statutory bully.

Due to no fault of the former CJN, there were glaring ill omens at the beginning and end of his controversial tenure. It was not his fault that he had to be sworn in by the outgoing CJN because the ill President Umaru Musa Yar’adua was not around. Neither was it his fault that Boko Haram terrorists would orchestrate the Abuja blast, which literally shooed away his tenure. Yet, both events proved excellently ominous for perhaps the lowest CJN tenure in Nigeria’s troubled democracy.

But in-between these two dire, if coincidental omens, in a spade of 20 months (30 December 2009-28 August 2011), the former CJN did enough to earn the legacy of judicial notoriety, if not outright anarchy, that his tenure richly earned.

It was under him a party to a gubernatorial dispute, which final verdict had been given, thoroughly libelled the court and its panellists. It was under him that the Supreme Court arrested the verdict on the Sokoto governorship and later, by a controversial judgment, diverted attention from that affront. It was under him that a normally cautious NBA was goaded into open rebellion against the office of the CJN, citing a chain of un-judiciary-like strong arm tactics, in the NJC’s mad rush to fix Justice Salami.

But perhaps the most lethal legacy of CJN Katsina-Alu is the denuding of a once revered NJC as another bastion of judicial rough necks. That has nearly put paid to the Uwais Electoral Reforms Committee, ERC’s proposal to make the Judiciary the pivot of reforms in Nigeria’s notoriously opaque electoral system.

Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais was the youngest member of the seven-man Supreme Court panel that, on 26 September 1979, gave a controversial verdict on the 12-twothird case between Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Chief Obafemi Awolowo. That proved a kiss of death for the new Second Republic.

Might the jurist, who later himself became CJN, be thinking of some redemptive role for the judiciary – to fix electoral reforms and gift Nigerian democracy eternal life, much the same way that 1979 verdict gave democracy instant death?

Clearly, CJN Katsina-Alu’s tragic swansong was incapable of that fine eye of history.

Still, for good or for ill, CJN Katsina-Alu has done his bit.

It is left for those behind to clear up the mess he left behind, if anarchy were not to stalk this land.

O

of the celebrant, the calabash-bearing maiden, followed by the Ataoja. At this point, the people are not much interested in the monarch, but the Arugba. Unlike in the previous outings, the Ataoja in this case is not leading the procession, but the Arugba, whose appearance from palace road prompt the people into prayers refuting bad for good, as well as hoping that her appearance ushered new things in their lives. This month is significant as the Arugba’s passage to the groove is believed to have ward away the bad omen in the society and rekindle devotees hope for better things in the days ahead. The prayer continues as everyone the maiden pass along the route pray that their trouble move along the calabash she bears to the shrine and the action would not stop until she enters into the shrine and drop it.

After this, attention shifts to the dignitaries that join the Ataoja at the groove, where all the high chiefs come one after the other to pay homage to the Ataoja, who in turn pray for them and also give them token gift symbolising his appreciation of their support and cooperation in helping him to maintain peace in the town for the year. The festival ends with the return of the entourage from the groove to the palace. However, the traditional rites continue till a week after, as devotees led by the Iya Osun return to the shrine to show appreciation for the mercy she has shown the previous years.

Its uniqueness is also its selling point, which explains the idea behind the state government decisions to use it as a pilot project to improve its revenue generation by making it more attractive and endear tourists in their thousands, not only to observe, but also to participate and help them find their path to their root.

epublican ipples

SOGBO, the capital of Osun State is agog again with lovers and admirers of the annual Osun Osogbo festival, which holds this week. Of all the internationally celebrated festival in Nigeria, Osun Osogbo stands out as the most venerated and most attended, as it is not only about merry making, but also about the mind, heart and divinity of a people, who are bonded by unique culture and history.

The annual festival symbolises the greatness of a goddess, who came to the rescue of a people faced by famine, barrenness and other forms of illnesses, took away their suffering and blessed the women with fertility, replaced famine with abundance and cure their sick children with the magical powers of her herb. This inherent feature reflects in such eulogy ascribed to the goddess as “seleru agbo agbara agbo l’osun fin we omo re ki dokita o’to de” (meaning Osun used natural and powerful herb mixture to cure her children before the arrival of modern medicine).

One significant attribute of the festival is that it brings devotees of the deity from all over the world together annually, from Cuba to Brazil, United States of America to Jamaica, Canada to Spain. They come together to pay homage to the goddess, who they believe is the source of life. The festival is held usually at the end of every second quarter of each year with the Osun River being the centre of activity. The rituals involved, which takes a total of four weeks, is also significant because it is believed to be a spiritual medium of cleansing the land and ridding it of bad omen and at the same time inviting good in form of fertility and bountiful harvest. The four-week festival is usually kick started with holy divination, where high priests in the town, led by the Araba, consult the Ifa on behalf of the reigning Ataoja in the palace to seek the wisdom of the gods on the festival, after which the Iyere is sung for the monarch to dance round his family com-

‘The rituals involved, which takes a total of four weeks, is also significant because it is believed to be a spiritual medium of cleansing the land and ridding it of bad omen and at the same time inviting good in form of fertility and bountiful harvest.

Exit Katsina-Alu

Osun Osogbo: Celebrating History and Culture

By Oyintiloye Olatunbosun pound in company of his queen(s).

Following the Iyere, is the open declaration of the commencement of the festival, through the Iwo Popo, which sees the Ataoja walks from his palace through the major road to Gbaemu (another royal compound in the town) junction, where he would sit and pray for his subjects, after paying homage to him.

Three days after the Iwo Popo, the ancient lamp called Atupa Olojumerindinlogun, that is the lamp consisting of sixteen faces, is fired up inside the palace square where it burns from night till dawn during which the Ataoja comes out with his queens to dance with his subjects, symbolising his humility and concern for their well-being. During all these periods, the focus is on the Ataoja, a symbol of authority and custodian of the people’s culture. The Atupa Olojumerindinlogun was a sixteen-point lamp which was allegedly kept burning from dusk to dawn to maintain the glory of the place at night. This can be likened to the modern day electrification of a community area. Today the Queen and her descendants and admirers are referred to in praise as: - omo atupa merindinlogun ti i tan l’ oroki ile. B’ o ba tan f’ oba, a tan f’ osun. A tun tan fun irunmale, a tan f’ enyan. While this is on, devotees, admirers, tourists, as well lovers of art work flows into the town anticipating the main and final events, where all attention is shifted from the Ataoja to the calabash-bearing maiden called Arugba; usually a week after the ancient lamp is off.

Then comes the main event, devotees in their thousands trooped to the groove; tourists, as well as lovers of art join in the procession. The groove, besides being the venue of the final event, also houses the first palace of the Ataoja, it is a site to marvel, as the various art work that beautify the environment is beyond description. People thronged the road leading to the groove, anticipating the passage

• Olatunbosun, Assistant Director. (Community Forum) Bureau of Communications and strategy, office of the Governor, Osun state.

‘This month is significant as the Arugba’s passage to the groove is believed to have ward away the bad omen in the society and rekindle devotees hope for better things in the days ahead’

THE NATION TUESDAY,AUGUST 30, 2011

22

EDITORIAL/OPINION HEN terror struck at the heart of the United Nations operations in Nigeria last week in Abuja, the sad but inevitable conclusion was that our dear country has finally joined the league of high profile targets by the global terrorist group called AlQaeda.

The franchise holder of terror in Nigeria, a certain murderous organization that goes by the name Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awatu wal-Jihad or People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad, but otherwise known as Boko Haram, formally announced the country’s inclusion in this group when it sent the most demented of its crazy members to the UN building in the nation’s capital last Friday with a vehicle laden with bombs on a mission to bring down this symbol of the global body together with all the people inside.

By the time they finished their business, a part of the building was destroyed, taking along with it no fewer than 23 souls and left at least 100 others injured, some of them with life threatening injuries.

Camouflaging as an Islamic group committed to the propagation of the teachings of the leader of the Islamic faith, the Holy Prophet Mohammed (SAW), Boko Haram has since its formation in Maiduguri, Borno state in 2002 brought sorrows, tears and blood not only to non-Muslims across northern Nigeria, but also Muslims in the region whose interest it claims to be protecting.

But from its activities from then till date, it is glaring that Boko Haram has neither been propagating the teachings of the Prophet (SAW) nor committed to the Jihad.

If it is, then it is going about it the wrong way as recourse to terrorism is not a legitimate weapon in Islam and can never be of Islam. Even though I am not an Islamic scholar, those who are and more pious, have repeatedly restated the fact that Islam is a religion of peace and enjoins peaceful co-existence between Muslims and non-Muslims. Islam also tells us that there is no compulsion in religion, so you can’t force your belief on another person. It has to be voluntary. And the

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What do they want?

Holy Prophet (SAW) enjoins mankind, especially Muslims, to seek knowledge, even if as far as China (most likely the farthest place to Arabia, the centre of Islam then where perhaps there was no Muslim then), to underscore the importance of education. So Islam couldn’t have been against education western or otherwise.

I can not claim to be very knowledgeable about Islam and I am not claiming to be, but the little that I know, especially as regards the major plank upon which Boko Haram is purportedly built, I would share with my readers as an obligation that I owe them and the larger society, especially in this holy month of Ramadan, to the best of my knowledge and ability. And in the process, I am inviting those who know more, especially among Muslims to speak out against the evils of Boko Haram and stop the group from giving Islam a bad name. They should also enlighten the general public, both Muslims and nonMuslims alike on the position of Islam on the goings on in our society as honestly as they could with the belief that they would one day give account to Allah (SWT).

So if what Boko Haram is doing has no place in Islam as widely believed and their motivation political rather than religious, may we then ask them what they really want? We have been told that they want to turn Nigeria into an Islamic State and introduce Sharia law across the country.

No problem with that if you ask me. Some

have said that they are also against all forms of western education in Nigeria. No problem as well. Where the problem lies in my understanding is the way they are going about their wish. And as long as they stick to terror they would never achieve anything.

There is nothing wrong in wishful thinking, one can even fantasise, but every reasonable human being should know what is achievable and what should be left in the realm of fantasy. This, the leadership of Boko Haram has failed to do, believing that it can have its way through the use of terror. This would never work.

Biafra tried it in the 60s, it failed; MEND has been at it for some time now, it is failing, and so have other similar groups.

No one group, militant or political, where ever it may be located in Nigeria can single-handedly dismember Nigeria, no. Nigeria can and will only disintegrate if all of us sat down to agree to her disintegration. It took former Yugoslavia a brutal civil war to realize this, as the once mighty east-European country of the Marshal Josef Tito’s fame was only broken into pieces at a round table in Dayton, the United States.

If Boko Haram is serious about its political demands it has to engage other Nigerians in discussion over them and not resort to terrorism. Al-Qaeda is definitely a wrong ally in this regard. The group should put forward its political face and present a coherent agenda to the rest of us. The federal government, the current

custodian of the Nigerian nation should then provide a platform for their demands together with those of other groups or nationalities to be discussed openly and objectively, and an agreement reached.

This can then be put to the nation in form of a referendum for every adult Nigeria to accept or reject and the decision becomes binding. This is the most honourable and acceptable way to go; not through terror.

As things stand today, that platform is not there. Some right thinking and respected compatriots have suggested a Sovereign National Conference to address this issue but successive administrations at the federal level have for reasons best known to them rejected this route. President Goodluck Jonathan has shown no sign that he would be different from his predecessors in this regard. But the reality of our present situation is that without us sitting together, through our true representatives, elected freely, to discuss the various problems confronting our union and agree on the way forward, we would continue to see and suffer from the likes of Boko Haram, MEND and the rest of them all, including the present rapacious leadership inflicted on us by only God knows who.

While Jonathan is strongly advised to take this option and rescue the country from sliding further into chaos, the federal government should adopt the carrot and stick method to deal with Boko Haram and similar terrorist groups, but on no account should we abandon the stick.

Jonathan, are you listening.

‘If Boko Haram is serious about its political demands it has to engage other Nigerians in discussion over them and not resort to terrorism. AlQaeda is definitely a wrong ally in this regard’

VIEW FROM THE FOREIGN PRESS

A

Time for the U.S. to use its influence in Egypt

MERICANS like to think of revolutions as simple one-act plays. The colonists rose up against the British, ultimately defeated them at Yorktown and won liberty for us all.

In fact, it was more complicated. The nation’s future was by no means certain in the period following victory. George Washington struggled to keep the Continental Army from revolting after Congress refused to raise taxes to honour its salary commitments. And, of course, it took 80 years before the country began extending the blessings of liberty to the millions held in slavery.

So too today is the fate of the Egyptian revolution uncertain. We wanted to believe that the drama had reached its final, happy conclusion when Hosni Mubarak resigned in the face of widespread demonstrations. But the struggle was not over.

The military replaced Mubarak, an air force general, with a committee of other generals, and this junta has retained many stalwarts of the Mubarak regime. Secret military courts have sentenced civilian bloggers and other activists to long prison terms for criticizing the military. Escalat-

‘The U.S. role in Egypt is not as direct as that, but this country does have the ability to influence the Egyptian junta’s treatment of peaceful demonstrators. The United States gives more than $1 billion in military aid each year to Egypt, and hundreds of millions more has been committed to the nation since Mubarak fell’

By David A. Super ing sectarian violence has frightened millions of Egyptian Christians. The security police continue to arrest and torture peaceful demonstrators, even subjecting female protesters to “virginity tests” in front of male soldiers, according to Amnesty International.

Elections have been scheduled, but without a democratic constitution or credible election laws, it is unclear how free they will be. Despite Egypt’s history of corrupt elections, the generals are so far refusing to allow international monitoring. Indeed, in pursuit of an apparent alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood, the generals initially scheduled the elections immediately following the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. This ploy would inhibit secular parties’ campaigning while giving Islamists captive audiences five times a day in the mosques. The military has quickly recognized Islamist parties but stalled registration of secular ones.

After tens of thousands of people turned out in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, birthplace of the revolution, to protest, the election date was modified slightly. But the army is increasingly allowing heavily armed thugs to move through its lines to attack and sometimes kill peaceful democracy advocates. Two weeks ago, the army itself swept through Tahrir Square, beating and arresting demonstrators and forcibly ending the protest.

The coming months will be a crucial time in determining Egypt’s future, and it’s worth again considering the lessons of our own revolution as the U.S. considers how to aid the cause of democracy. We tend to forget the crucial role that foreign support played in our revolution. Without Lafayette, Rochambeau and the French

fleet blocking British reinforcements, Yorktown might have ended very differently.

The U.S. role in Egypt is not as direct as that, but this country does have the ability to influence the Egyptian junta’s treatment of peaceful demonstrators. The United States gives more than $1 billion in military aid each year to Egypt, and hundreds of millions more has been committed to the nation since Mubarak fell.

We can’t allow Egyptian leaders to hide behind that support. In some countries in the region, regime troops have deliberately used weapons marked “Made in U.S.A.” against demonstrators. One democracy activist in the region reported that the secret police played a recording of President Obama’s speech at Cairo University while torturing him, emphasizing that American words about freedom and human rights were hollow.

To date, the U.S. has played into the hands of oppressive regimes trying to cling to power. Vice President Joe Biden insisted that Mubarak was not a dictator, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton characterized Syrian President Bashar Assad as a reformer, undercutting and demoralizing brave Egyptians and Syrians as they risked their lives for democracy.

The Arab media have mocked the Obama administration’s self-described policy of “leading from behind.” Coming from the world’s only superpower, this lacks credibility. Democracy advocates found bitter irony in how Obama pushed Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) to resign after Weiner tweeted suggestive pictures of himself, but then waited so long to call on Assad to step down even after he had killed hundreds of his own people. Media in the region have also noted our eerie silence as the Bahraini monarchy, which

hosts a large American naval base, brought in Saudi troops to savagely crush peaceful democracy demonstrations.

This month’s brutal crackdown in Tahrir Square came on the heels of a visit to Washington by a high-level delegation of Egyptian generals to discuss the future of U.S. military aid. In the past, assurances of continued U.S. funding also have led quickly to brutal crackdowns on dissent. For example, in 2005 and again in 2006, the regime arrested thousands of activists from the democracy movement in the weeks after House appropriators overrode concerns about Egypt’s human rights record.

But it is not too late. The administration must tell the generals in unmistakable terms that further crackdowns on peaceful democracy demonstrators will bring an immediate interruption in all aid. Taking a firm stand with the generals could help achieve in Egypt what hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of American lives have failed to win in Iraq: a free, secular, pro-Western democracy in the heart of the Arab world.

David A. Super, a law professor at Georgetown University, is active in Voices for a Democratic Egypt.

‘After tens of thousands of people turned out in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, birthplace of the revolution, to protest, the election date was modified slightly.

But the army is increasingly allowing heavily armed thugs to move through its lines to attack and sometimes kill peaceful democracy advocates’

23

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

MARITIME

African ports urged to adopt policy Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda, Maritime Correspondent

T

• A cargo ship

‘Why 48-hour cargo clearance is not feasible’ A

LMOST six years after its in troduction, the clearance of cargoes within 48 hours remains unfeasible.

This, according to experts, is so because of inconsistency in government policies; failure to reduce the number of government agencies with overlapping functions at the ports and lack of facilities to make the ports competitive with other neighbouring ports in West African.

Chairman/Managing Director eTSOL Cargo and Oil Mr Tolulope Ajayi said since the 48-hour cargo clearance entails working in the day and night, “it seems the Federal Government did not consider the security implication, the need for electricity, and road network before introducing the policy.

Customs and banks, Ajayi said, have to function effectively before the target can be met.

He said goods worth billions of naira would continue to be diverted to neighbouring countries because of the inability of government agencies to clear them within the stipulated time.

Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda, Maritime Correspondent

This trend, he said, would persist, except the government embarks on massive infrastructural development at the ports and the terminal operators, Customs and the Ministry of Finance reduce duties on imported goods.

Ajayi said importers were disturbed by the amount of money and time they spent in doing business at the ports.

The Executive Director, Telex Consult, Mr Oluwadayisi Oladapo, called for the scrapping of all punitive trade, such as excessive charges at the ports.

Oladapo suggested the automation of Customs operations, adding and that the local Trade Release Study (TRS) initiative, should also be made to work in tandem with the World Customs Organisation’s efforts He called on the government to release a special grant for the development of the ports to international standard.

NIMASA seeks attention for sector

T

• Minister of Transport, Idris Umar

The grant, according to him, would enable the government and NPA to provide electricity, security, infrastructure, road network and equipment needed to uplift the ports beyond their present status.

The money, Oladapo said, would also enable NPA to complement the efforts of terminal operators and perform its role at the ports.

NPA nets N450b

• MD NPA Omar Suleiman

T

HE Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has netted over N450 billion, it has been revealed.

A source at the NPA‘s head office

in Lagos told The Nation that the authority has been generating between N80 billion and N110 billion annually after handing the ports over to concessionaires in 2006.

Going by the source‘s estimation, NPA has been making a steady increase of N20 billion annually, which amounts to over 30 per cent over its pre-concessioning era.

He said since concessioning, NPA has been able to focus on its core functions of keeping the channels safe for navigation and other responsibilities as the technical regulator.

The port concession arrangement

was conducted by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) in 2006 to address problems of low productivity, delay in cargo delivery, lack of cargo handling equipment, government‘s bureaucracy in obtaining approval for projects and port congestion.

Twenty-five concessionaires were appointed to manage the nation‘s ports. Six are for Lagos Ports Complex and two for Inland Container Terminal. The Tin Can Island Port Complex has four; Rivers Port, two; Delta Ports Complex, five; Onne Ports, four; and three for Calabar Port.

NGO challenges govt on maritime education

T

HE future of mariners and how the sectorcould be developed was the focus at an event organised by the Agenda for Good Governance, a non-governmental organisation in Lagos on Friday.

Members of the group said the existing training institutions in the country need some upgrading.

The group insisted that the Federal Government should support the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) by providing funds for the maritime institutions so that the country could

avail itself of good facilities to train officers. It also advocated the comprehensive review of employment, education and training of seafarers..

Addressing stakeholders in the maritime industry, Executive Director of the group, Mr Rotimi Onakoya, said the government must show seriousness in developing a local maritime education system by supporting NIMASA to create jobs for the youths.

The government, he said, should upgrade the maritime training system and keep it on track with the changing demands of training

HE Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Omar Suleiman, has enjoined managers of ports in West and Central Africa to adopt the provisions of the Nigerian Port Environmental Policy for their ports environment requirements.

He said considering the peculiar environment within which the seaports in the sub-region operate, the policy will be suitable for ports in the region.

Suleiman said the goal of the Nigerian Ports Environmental Policy is to achieve and sustain a healthy environment that will be conducive for safe, secure and unhindered maritime transport, adding that the, “Policy aims at co-operating with other countries, international organisations and agencies to achieve optimal use of trans-boundary maritime transport and effective prevention or abatement of trans-boundary environmental degradation.”

He pointed out that the port environmental policy, which is from the national environmental policy, is anchored on the sustainable development principles, which encourage pollution prevention, control and clearing up in the port industry.

On sanitation and waste management at the nation’s ports, he reiterated the efforts of the port management to handle both the ship and port generated wastes at the seaports.

To meet the requirements of handling all ship generated wastes, as stipulated by the MARPOL 73/78 Convention, he said the NPA had in 2005, entered into a contract with African Circle Limited (ACL) to provide port waste reception facilities in its four navigational districts in Lagos, Bonny/Port Harcourt, Calabar and Warri.

He pointed out that between its inception in October 2004 to April 2010, a total of 20,148 ships with a cumulative GRT of 348,894,656 have been inspected for MARPOL compliance, 70,141 metric tonnes of waste oil and 5,148,787 kilogrammes of garbage have been collected and disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.

across the globe.

He advocated that the government should strengthen institutions, such as NIMASA, which play crucial roles in the industry and address legitimate concerns of the sector.

Onakoya also wants the Federal Government to equip existing training institutions with facilities to enable the country to produce quality seafarers locally, rather than send them abroad for training that can be done at home.

He reasoned that normal maritime training is a combination of practical and theory.

HE Director-General, Nige rian Maritime Administra tion and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi has identified the wrong placement of priorities as the reason for collapsed infrastructure in the transport sector in the country.

He urged the Federal Government to give sector the necessary attention.

He spoke when council members of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), led by its President, Emeritus Professor, Michael Filani, visited him recently.

Akpobolokemi, who decried the rot in the sector occasioned by bad roads and collapsed rail system, said the sector is too important to be neglected, adding: transportation is the hub of development whether viewed economically or socially.

He, therefore, urged the CILT to partner with all stakeholders in ensuring that this trend is reversed.

He stressed that transportation moves shapes the world economy.

He said: “The world is united be-

By Uyoatta Eshiet

cause transportation bridges the space and time barriers. If you kill transportation it is like you are killing life and this is why the transport sector is too important to be relegated to the background. Even with the digital revolution, transportation still remains a key element of development because of its movement of people and goods from one point to another.”

The Director-General, who observed that the institute should be in the fore- front of setting the agenda on policy thrusts that will assist government in developing the transport sector, said if the people are enlightened on the inherent opportunities in the sector, more jobs would certainly be created to reduce poverty and crime rate in the country.

While thanking the members of council for their visit, the helms man stressed that NIMASA will continue to partner the institute in the area of capacity building which is a key component of the Agency’s four point agenda.

‘Optimise maritime endowments’

E

XECUTIVE Secretary, Maritime Monitoring Group (MMG), Mr Rotimi Obada, has urged the Federal Government to optimise the nation’s ocean endowments by placing priority on the maritime industry.

Obada wants attention to be given to shipping; stressing that only countries that are able to do this become great.

He made the plea during an interview with The Nation. He said the maritime sector is as important as aviation and should not be underrated, if the nation want to attain its Vision 20:2020.

“The Federal Government must accord equal recognition to the maritime and aviation sector. The duo are very essential. Both are important to the development of the economy. What one lacks the other has.

Though aviation has the advantage of fast delivery, no one should compare what the ship can carry with that of the plane.

ANLCA supports cargo examination

T

HE Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) is worried over the high level of insecurity at the nation’s sea ports.

The association said it has nothing against 100 per cent examination of cargo by Customs if it is done in the interest of the nation and its people.

Speaking with The Nation in Lagos last weekend, the National President of the Association, Alhaji Olatiwola Shittu, said its is the responsibility of government agencies at the ports and, especially Customs, to carry out 100 per cent examination of any cargo they suspect to be harmful of dangerous to the security of the nation and its people.

He said the high level of insecurity at the ports has become a major concern for port users.

He urged the Nigeria Customs Service to rise up to the challenge by curbing the unlawful activities of those he called dubious importers.

With the last week seizure of arms at Tin-can port, Shittu urged all government agencies at the ports to make a significant effort in dealing with the problem.

24

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

MARITIME

Customs, importers quarrel over impounded iron rods T

HE Customs and some importers have dis agreed over some seized iron rods kept in front of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) building in the Nigerian wing of Seme border.

The Customs denied seizing the products, as alleged by the importers.

Following incessant building collapse, the Federal Government, on January 1, restricted the importation of iron rods and related products to Tin Can Island Port, Lagos.

But importers were said to have resorted to bringing in the products through the border, resulting in the arrest of some of them.

As at last week, over 40 seized trailer loads of iron rods were parked at the Nigerian wing of the border.

The trailers were loaded with 5mm and 6mm iron rods meant for nail manufacturing companies.

Spokesman of the Customs, Seme Border Command Ernest Olota said the trailers, were not impounded by the Customs.

The trailers, he said, were not under the control of the Customs because where they are parked is within the Benin Republic wing of the border.

He said: “Those trailers that you are talking about are not under the Nigerian Customs control. They are still under the control of the Benin Customs. Every importer knows how to go about the payment of their duties and the moment the duty is paid the goods would be released.”

Olota explained that since the restriction on importation of iron rods to Tincan Island ports, the command

O

• Some of the impounded trucks

• CG Customs Dikko

By Jude Isiguzo

has not cleared any such consignment.

But some local marketers of iron rods countered his claim.

They accused the Customs of withholding their goods even after paying the necessary duty.

They alleged that Customs men at Seme Border Command allow in products, which are mostly of low quality into the country’s market.

According to them, if the government does not check this development, more buildings will collapse within the next 10 years.

They explained that the only point through which the plain 5 and 6mm iron rods for nail manufacturing companies can come into the country is the Tin Can Island ports.

The dealers, who insisted that their goods were impounded by the Customs, said the trailers have been parked beside the ECOWAS

building for over four months.

They noted that the goods of these who met the demands of the Customs operatives have been released.

One of the dealers, who pleaded anonymity, said: “The government should not allow those substandard iron rods into the country because they will end up killing more people if used for building construction. “’There is a cabal in our association that lives on the importation of these fake and substandard iron rods and they must be stopped if the government really wants to check building collapses in the country. We cannot come out openly to speak because you can pay with your life if you try to expose them,” a source said.

By Oluwakemi Dauda, Maritime Correspondent

las Enterprise, Mr Godwin Charles, said the facilities in most of the terminals, are not sufficient to cope with the demands of the industry.

In the last 12 months, he said, maritime operators have complained about high charges and unfriendly business environment at the ports despite the fact that the Federal Government is generating a lot of revenue through the sector.

The Federal Government , he alleged, is generating billions of naira yearly after handing the ports over to terminal operators “It is highly uncharitable for the Federal Government to be making a huge amount of

money from the port without ploughing a good percentage back into it. Go to the ports and you will observe the level of decay I am talking about.

There are no lights and the Customs relies on generator.

And it seems as if the Federal Government has abdicated its responsibilities to port users.

“Although port development is an ongoing process, what is happening in the country is that the Federal Government has realised a lot of revenues from the port concessionaires, but the revenue is not used for port development due to abdication of responsibilities, negligence and corruption.

“The Federal Government is not giving back to the ports. Part of what it has realised therein. The roads

from Oshodi to the ports are not in good condition and that is not a good omen.”

Another operator and Managing Director, Maritime Investment Group, Mr Gbolahan Agbaje, said it was ironical that between 2003 and 2005, the government generated N179.2 billion.

That was before the concession. After the concession, however, the same government generated N239.3 billion between 2006 and 2008 and more than that amount was realised in 2009 and last year.

“What is the government doing with the money realised from the ports? Are they using the money to fund personal business at the detriment of the nation at large?” he asked.

Body seeks port channels expansion

T

HE Secretary, Institute of Marine Engineers, Science and Technology, Alexander Peters, said the ports, apart from those in Lagos, need major dredging to achieve navigation deepening, adding that Nigeria is still in danger of losing the international cargo to other ports offering “more capacity, greater efficiency and deeper harbours”.

He said the ports are con-

Alarm over rice importation Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda, Maritime Correspondent

RICE importers at the Seme border under the aegis of Trans Boarder Traders Association of Nigeria (TBTAN) have raised alarm that the price of rice would rise to over N15,000 a bag before the end of the year if the Federal Government does not revisit it’s ban on importation of the commodity.

The group accused Rice Importers Millers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (RIMDAN) of influencing the ban, saying the group is plotting to monopolise the business and cause Nigerians to pay more for the commodity.

The Co-ordinator of TBTAN, Alhaji Mikky Okunola, alleged that long before the ban, RIMDAN had made several overtures to the government against importation through the land borders, saying all the accusations against TBTAN engaging in smuggling of the commodity across the borders, were false.

He said when their members were importing the commodity through the land borders, ‘every trader ensured that the rules and regulation in relation to Customs Duties and levies were always observed and obeyed accordingly. Then rice was sold for between N5,000 and N5,500 per 50 kg bag.

ISAN decentralised

Operators urge govt to reduce port charges

PERATORS in the maritime industry have called on the Federal Government to address the inadequate facilities at most of the terminals.

They also want a reduction of high port charges to curb cargo diversion to ports of neighbouring countries.

They also identified high port charges as the bane of the sector.

Addressing reporters in Apapa on Friday, the operators said since the Federal Government has succeeded in raising its revenue profile through port concession.

They wondered why poor infrastructure and high port charges still remain a problem.

Speaking at the occasion, the Managing Director of At-

Maritime Watch

By Uyoatta Eshiet

fronting draught challenges which hinder reception of big ships.

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has been concentrating efforts mostly at the Apapa port that recently was able to receive a vessel of over 13 meters draught in level.

This was made possible because of the constant

dredging of the water channel that leads to the Nation’s premier port.

Depth difficulties have been sharpened with new facilities coming on stream.

Peters said draught is one of the most persistent problems confronting the ports because the channels at present, apart from that of Apapa Ports, are most of the times very shallow and

bigger ships that require much more draught level cannot access them. Most of the bigger ships require 13 metres and above.

The result of this, Peters revealed, is that Ocean going vessels cannot berth directly at most of our ports, “they have to hang out at the high seas while lighter ships are then employed to perform ‘STS’ operations,” declared Peters.

THE Indigenous Shipowners Association of Nigeria (ISAN) has inaugurated its Warri Zone.

ISAN Chairman, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, who inaugurated the new zone last week said it was aimed at ensuring the growth of maritime activities in the littoral states.

Jolapamo said other zones would soon be inaugurated in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Calabar, which would bring the number to four.

In his address at the inauguration held at Refinery Road, Warri, the ISAN boss lamented that Nigeria sells its crude oil to foreign interests on Free on Board (FOB) rather Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) basis thereby causing the nation to lose over several billions of naira annually.

The Chairman of the new Zone, Sonny Omatseye, said that the association at the zone would ensure effective representation of ship owners in all their dealings with government agencies, shippers and private organisations on matters of mutual interest.

Nigeria faces sanction IT has been revealed that the only agency recognised by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), to carry out maritime safety and security administration in Nigeria is the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

Sources at the IMO said the country faces the risk of being sanctioned if the Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Safety and Security (PICOMSS), which ought to be an ad-hoc arrangement to ensure the implementation of a new order is institutionalised to carry out activities relating to maritime safety and security in Nigeria, since the country is a signatory to the Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) Convention.

It would be recalled that PICOMSS was an ad-hoc committee set up by the government after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the United States.

The global maritime regulatory body had set July 1, 2004, as deadline for the IMO member-states to comply with the new maritime security arrangement. To meet up with the deadline, the Federal Government set up PICOMSS to coordinate all efforts towards compliance.

Freight forwarders condemn raid THE Central Working Committee of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (CWCFFN) has condemned the raid of freight forwarders by a combined team of government agencies at Tin-Can Island port. He urged stakeholders to compile names of legitimate port users for policy duty.

Chairman of CWCFFN, Cosmas Chji, said the group is worried over the unwarranted attack on innocent freight forwarders and licensed Customs agents at the port. He asked all concerned to organise themselves for proper protection of lives and property.

The group, also urged the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), to register the members of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), and the National Association of Nigerian Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), for easy administration.

‘Promote maritime industry’ MARITIME lawyers have urged the Federal Government to put all the necessary policies in place to promote the industry.

Speaking with reporters in Lagos, the lawyers said the dearth of human and material capacities has been a source of worry in the maritime sector.

They called on relevant government agencies at the port to complement stakeholders’efforts in capacity-building, noting that businesses blink first in the event of any government policy breakdown.

Speaking on behalf of others, a maritime lawyer and consultant in the industry, Mr Frank Simpson, said the dream of the youths, who are seeking employment, is only realisable through job creation via the sector and human capacity building.

The consultant said the country can be the number one maritime nation in Africa if human capacity building is taken seriously.

25

PROPERTY

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.com

* The Environment * Mortgage * Apartments * Security * Homes *Real Estate

email:- property@thenationonlineng.net

Nigerians’ taste in houses changes •Manyprefer smaller,greener homes

•UPDC Homes, Lekki, Lagos.

Nigeria’s real estate industry is fast catching up with the advanced world in design, taste and delivery. Time was when only houses in the Government Reserved Areas (GRA), mostly occupied by expatriates and top government officials, had shrubs and well-maintained lawns and gardens. Now, almost in all major cities, houses are becoming greener and smarter. People are, more than ever, mindful of building such houses based on the maxim that beautiful things come in small packages, writes OKWY IROEGBU •STORY ON PAGE 26

• ‘Lagos committed to solving •Kogi victims of rainstorm •Group blames high expatriate groan, months after water problem’ quota for graduate unemployment - PAGE 26

•Nawo Building

- PAGE 27

- PAGE 28

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

26

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT

Civil engineers blame high expatriate quota for graduate unemployment

T

HERE is an influx of migrant labour into the country fol lowing the high rate of expatriate quota, it has been learnt.

This development, according to the Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association (CCESSA), is worrisome because of its effect on graduate unemployment. Its President Dr Austine Efato has said.

Speaking at the opening of a seminar on “the Development of Nigerian content agenda in the construction industry in Ilorin, Efato said: “It is a fact well taken that 70 percent of major construction works in Nigeria is done by multinational corporations registered in Nigeria.

This brings to question the character of employment relations in such establishments. Whereas the junior staff are wholly Nigerian, and are numerous, the senior cadre employment is shared between the expatriates and the Nigerians.

“In some companies the ratio of expatriates to local senior staff can be as high as 10 expatriates to one senior staff. Whereas the extant law on expatriate quota and indigenisation decree expect not less than four Nigerians to understudy an expatriate, but what we now have is one Nigerian understudying ten expatriates.

“As I am talking to you, there are expatriates that have spent 10 to 15 years in Nigeria. What technology

that can be manned by Nigerians are contracted out to expatriates under whatever guise are detrimental to the nation; transformational policy of creating jobs for built environment professionals, he said.

“There is a very high need for the development of a vibrant and viable construction equipment marketing in Nigeria where the industry would also be in a position to account for resources invested in that area. The resources invested however, must be properly managed and there must be transparency. While this is in the pipeline, workers should equally strive to develop themselves as strategy to reposition and elevate them into key positions in the industry.”

•An office complex under construction in Abuja central business area From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

do they hold on to that Nigerians have not been able to understudy.

There is always this temptation to

say that the experts, lacking job in their home country have come to reduce their unemployment thereby, worsening our unemployment situation.”

In a remark, Governor Abdul

PHOTO: OKWY IROEGBU

Fatah Ahmed of Kwara State described poor orientation of employment to absorb the nation’s expanding workforce as one of the challenges of the construction industry.

“Situations in which positions

‘Situations in which positions that can be manned by Nigerians are contracted out to expatriates under whatever guise are detrimental to the nation; transformational policy of creating jobs for built environment professionals’

Nigerians’ taste in houses changes

N

IGERIANS are going for smaller homes that are functional without taking away that high gate with parking lots where vintage cars will be displayed.

“For Nigerian developers, the need to understand what design features buyers truly want is more important than ever in these days of cash squeeze,” said Ikechi Uche.

Most successful builders, according to him, recognise what design elements and amenities are important to various demographics and are able to adapt to meet the everchanging needs of the public.

He said with housing costs increasing, buyers know that “big comes with a price” and have developed an appetite for smaller, well-planned homes with shrubs seen as healthy, classy and a means of combating the negative effects of climate change.

While many consumers are willing to forgo space, they are not equating this with having to forfeit functionality,” said Uche.

“Design creativity is requisite to adapt to this changing preference.”

Although these Nigerians are willing to live in smaller spaces, it appears their cars need extra room, therefore, “home designs offering only single garages are going to be a deterrent to today’s up market home buyers as some of the wealthy lot can be vain in terms of displaying their wonder on wheels,” he noted.

Multipurpose rooms are in, while formal living and dining rooms are out. Rooms that can be used as a home office during the day and for homework, crafts and hobbies or any of such are sought after.

Large kitchens and open concept designs that connect the kitchen to family and dining areas have been popular for many years and continue to attract buyers.

Uche said gardens, gyms and swimming pools “not on the wish list of buyers – it is on the ‘must’ list.”

Another emerging trend, he

said, is outdoor living rooms, incorporating cooking areas and fireplaces.

“With this in mind, plan designs should accommodate the increasing desire of home buyers and owners to expand their living spaces beyond the confines of their exterior walls,” he said.

According to him, this has become popular as people hold large parties in the confines of their homes, especially when they can boast of a well manicured garden and lawn.

President, International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI), Nigeria, Chief Kola Akomolede, said the trend may just be creeping in but, quickly noted that it is more pronounced in advanced economies because they hardly have permanent homes like we have here.

He said: “In Canada or any other advanced country where the real estate market is sophisticated, a single person may just need a one-bedroom flat while a newly married couple may need a twobedroom flat and when the kids start coming they will move into a four-bedroom flat and then move back to a one bedroom flat when the kids are grown and have left the house.

“Here, we hardly sell or change our homes but all that is changing”.

He revealed that people in the upper class between the age bracket of 55 years and above, who live mostly in Ikoyi and environs in large houses and duplexes of seven bedrooms are now disposing of such and moving into functional serviced flats that suit their taste and class, with all the convenience.

A surveyor, Mr Samiel Ukpong said though the idea of smaller and greener house as a concept in design and delivery may have taken root in advanced countries, it is slowly catching up though with some setbacks due to certain in social factors, such as the extended family system, number of households and the wherewithal.

•A landscapped green house

He said: “Some people tend towards large houses because of social reasons, which include the size of a household but, with advancement in living standards, people are coming to terms with the need to keep small households which can be easily accommodated in maximum luxury than a whole house that offers little in terms of comfort.

“Daily, people realise that what they need in terms of accommodation is not just a large house but one that is functional with quality and standards”.

However, he observed that a drawback for people who may want to dispose of their large

duplexes or detached houses for smaller houses is the fact that most Nigerians don’t really allow an estate agent to put ‘to sell’ signboard on their properties even when they want to dispose of them for a more compact accommodation.

He said: “For social and cultural reasons some clients instruct: “don’t put for sale sign on my property because l have been identified with the property for a long time and don’t want to be seen as broke though l have need for the cash”.

Ukpong stressed that some people will prefer to gauge the feelings of their acquaintances

before moving into a smaller apartment, no matter how desirable it is.

But he insisted that it will gradually take root as people become more amenable to change and less bothered about comments by their neighbours.

For the concept to gain more acceptance, he explained that it must be encouraged by government in such a way that land acquisition and title procurement becomes easier, especially in Lagos to encourage people to change accommodation or build what will suit them at a particular time of their lives.

‘Home designs offering only single garages are going to be a deterrent to today’s up market home buyers as some of the wealthy lot can be vain in terms of displaying their wonder on wheels’

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

27

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT

‘Lagos committed to solving water problem’

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O solve water shortage in the state, the state governor has stepped up efforts to improve its supply to the public.

Briefing journalists at the board room of the State Water Corporation (LSWC), the Group Managing Director of the corporation, Mr Shayo Holloway, said the government appreciates the sufferings of the people on water shortage, especially the residents of OrileBadagry Expressway where a major road construction is going on.

Holloway observed that rural-urban migration is putting a lot of pressure on the available infrastructure but quickly added that it is undertaking massive infrastructural development being a responsible and responsive government.

Explaining the hiccups in water service delivery along the OrileBadagry axis, he said: “The current Lagos-Badagry Expressway, which was formerly two lanes, is being expanded to 10 lanes in a bid to improve the people’s living standard.

Any time such undertaking in infrastructural development is embarked upon, it always has some collateral effects on the other aspects of life.”

The ongoing construction, according to him, has resulted in the relocation of 1200mm water trunk which supplies water to the western axis of Mile 2 to Isashi in Badagry.

Citing a recent publication by a national newspaper of a photo of Lagosians scooping water from an excavated pipe, he said it was removed to accomodate the road expansion.

“It is the policy of the state government that when any massive project is being undertaking, which would engender some inconveniences, the contractor handling such project would, as interim measure, provide water to the affected communities. Julius Berger has taken the responsibility of providing water to residents of Orile-Mile 2 axis and its environs until things normalise,” he said.

Mr Holloway also said Lagos has a population of 20million, even as he added that by 2020, it is projected that the population would hit 27m.

He noted: “This is a major challenge facing the state.” He, however, expressed optimism that the government has the political will to tackle the challenges.

“In March 2010, the government inaugurated a 12.15MW independ-

By Okwy Iroegbu and Chinaka Okoro

ent power plant situated at Akute, a border town between Lagos and Ogun states. This helps the Iju water works which has an installed capacity of 45 million gallons a day.

The state also has one of the largest water works which has an installed capacity of 70 million gallons per day.

“The IPP serves these major facilities and has been running without stop since it was inaugurated last year. This was as a result of the state government’s resolve to tackle the issue of water supply,” he said.

To ensure access to water, he said, the government had undertaken construction of 15 mini-water works which will inject additional 30 million gallons a day. Out of these, 10 have been inaugurated while the remaining five would be completed by the first quarter of 2012.

He also said that the construction of four million gallons per day water works which will serve 11 communities is ongoing and would be completed by December.

Holloway also said: “To support the ongoing infrastructural development under the World Bank project, we have completed a twomillion gallons per day water works at Aguda which has helped in boosting water supply around Aguda to support the existing Surulere water works. Ikate miniwater works is one of the five water works which should be completed by first quarter of 2012.

“With the completion of the Ikate, Aguda and Surulere mini-water works, the entire Surulere axis will be very well-supplied with water.

So, water service delivery to the entire axis will experience significant improvement.

Again, to improve service delivery around Ikoyi axis, there is another two million gallons of water per day water works still under the World Bank project at Alexandrer, which will help boost water supply along that corridor.”

He added: “Iponri mini-water works has been virtually completed. Test running will start within the next two weeks. It will boost service delivery at Alaka and some fringes of Surulere. In 2005, we experienced a collapse of 1200mm trunk, which was transporting water to the Island.”

As an interim measure to mitigate the effects of the collapse, we

• Fashola inspecting a mini-water works with Holloway.

installed two 600mm trunks which will be completed this December.

With this, water delivery to the Island would be doubled. We expect improved service delivery to Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lagos Island.”

Holloway noted that to meet water demands in Lagos in 2020 when population may hit 27 million, the corporation has undertaken the design and construction works that will add another 70 million to the existing facilities. Construction will commence in 2012 to be completed in 2015.

He said: “Our Master Plan is quite

‘Our Master Plan is quite extensive and will address water demand between now and 2020 when the projected water demand will hit 733 million gallons per day’

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

T

•Onolememen

By Okwy Iroegbu Asst. Editor

It also pledged that enough men and vehicles will be deployed maximally to ensure adequate back-up for the PSP Operators.

A major milestone was reached by the state government with the acquisition of over 100 New Tata Waste Compactors handed over to PSP Operators to assist in the discharge of their duties and ensure improved turnaround time. The state government has also concluded plans to inaugurate another Transfer Loading Station at Oshodi.

LAWMA’s Managing Director, Mr Ola Oresanya, appealed to residents to be alive to their responsibilities and shun acts likely to impact on the environment negatively, especially indiscriminate disposal of refuse. He urged residents to imbibe the culture of bagging and disposing waste in designated collection points.

He said with the inauguration of the IPP, water supply has improved significantly, adding that before the IPP, service delivery was at 22 per cent as against the current 55 per cent record.

Holloway, therefore, appealed to borehole users to migrate to the Lagos Water Corporation mains.

“Most domestic boreholes are shallow and, therefore, consumers are tapping from polluted water sources which create health hazards. L SWC runs water boreholes as well, but ours are between 100 and 200 metres deep. At that depth, we are tapping good and safe water.

“The second reason is that there is a long-term environmental impact that is looming if we continue with massive proliferation of boreholes. Lagos State is quite close to the Atlantic Ocean. If we overextract ground water on the mainland, the resultant effect of that is saline water migrating to pollute the ground water. In some areas in Lekki corridor, some boreholes there are turning to salt water. We must address this problem before it gets out of hand,” he said.

Minister seeks 40% indigenous participation in road projects

LAWMA to distribute trash bags at Eld-il-Fitri HE Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) is set to distribute about half a million trash bags free, during the Sallah celebrations.

According to a statement from the Authority, plans have been concluded with the 350 Private Sector Participants (PSP) in the state waste management scheme to sustain cleanliness during and after the Salah and to ensure a filth-free celebration.

Distribution of the bags during festive periods, which commenced four years ago, is to ensure that refuse is properly bagged and disposed in containers which would be evacuated by the assigned Private Sector Operator (PSP) for each vicinity.

The trash bags are to be distributed to residents by PSP Operators and the Advocacy Team of LAWMA, to contain the expected huge waste usually generated during festive periods.

extensive and will address water demand between now and 2020 when the projected water demand will hit 733 million gallons per day.

There will be commencement of various water schemes between now and 2020 and will be spread across the length and breadth of the state.

“We will commence the construction of Odumola Phase 1. The first phase will be 30 million gallons per day. In other words, by 2012, we should be embarking on construction of two major water works which will add 100 million gallons per day to the existing 212 million gallons of water a day.

“It’s an ambitious plan, but the government is committed to achieving that. With the provision of these infrastructure, we must be able to deliver water effectively to consumers. This will be achieved through a robust distribution system.”

He said the corporation is embarking on means extension in 13 local government areas. The goal is to have water means in the frontage of every property in the state so that every household can tap water directly from their frontage.

T

HE Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen has said part of his agenda is to achieve 40 per cent local participation in the execution of federal roads.

He said the ministry will ensure that the roads are motorable.

The minister stated this during a meeting in Abuja with the National Executive of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) led by its President, Olumuyiwa Ajibola.

He said: “The aim of government, which was to build indigenous capacity as well as create jobs, would be defeated if expatriate companies continued to do the job, which ordinarily should be handled by local firms,” adding that more often than not, these foreign companies repatriate their funds to the detriment of the country.

“We are interested in building capacity in the sector, because we have observed that we lack adequate indigenous capacity in the

road sector. ‘’When I had a meeting few days ago with major contractors of the Federal Ministry of Works, majority of them were white men. ‘’That was not a good testimonial about the construction industry, because what that translates to is that the huge government investment in the sector ends up in foreign land.

“The multinationals, at the end of the day, will necessarily have to repatriate the money to their home country. We are very worried because as long as that scenario continued to play out, we will not be able to create the expected jobs through the projects. ‘’It also means we will not be able to build our indigenous capacity, which is another objective of the government in embarking and funding these projects.

“At present, the onus lies on the NSE to make the desired changes, Nigerian engineers should have by now got above acting as consultants or engaging in mere supervision jobs.”

“To make themselves competitive to bid for big road construction projects, Nigerian engineers could organise themselves into groups to form formidable firms.

“I want to challenge the Nigerian Society of Engineers to look into this particular issue. Our engineers should not just be contented with doing mere supervi-

sion jobs on road, or embarking on little consultancy jobs.

Our engineers should be able to come together and form large organisations and companies that will be big enough with the resource and manpower base to effectively compete with these multinational companies.

“It is my dream that before I leave office as Minister of Works at the end of my tenure, I should to be able to say, at least, I was able to achieve 40 per cent local content in terms of projects execution in this ministry. With good organisation and co-ordination, I believe we can overcome these challenges,” he said.

The minister also said the ministry would be ready to work with the NSE to place Nigerian engineers in their rightful positions to contribute their quota to the development of the country in road infrastructure, . He stressed: ‘’It is only when we do this that we can begin to claim proper ownership of some of these projects.”

Ajibola urged the minister to carry the Nigerian content reform agenda to the road construction sector to eneable his colleagues provide quality services to increase capacity and employment through on-going infrastructure expansion.

He pleaded with the minister to ensure prompt and timely payment of consultants and contractors working on the ministry’s projects.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

28

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT Building Issues

Mistakes to avoid when choosing where to live

S

•Falomo Rounabout,Lagos

Kogi victims of rainstorm groan, months after

M

ONTHS after rainfall wreaked havoc in Ofante, Ogugu in Olamaboro Local Government Area of the Kogi State, no relief seems in sight for the victims.

Neither the Federal nor the Kogi State government has intervened to alleviate the suffering, of the people.

About 150 buildings including schools and other properties worth billions of naira were also destroyed by rainstorm.

Since the incident, the victims are being accommodated by their relations while the fate of the pupils and students of the affected schools remain uncertain.

People living in the affected areas also risk an outbreak of epi-

From Dele Anofi, Abuja

demic due to the poor and overcrowded condition which they are being subjected to.

The Senior Programme Officer, Pilot Projects of Building Nigeria’s Response to Climate Change (BNRCC)/Nigerian Environmental Study/Action Team (NEST), Samson Samuel Ogallah, described the destruction as overwhelming and beyond the capacity of the community.

Saying that the incident has made life unbearable for those affected, Ogalla urged relevant government agencies.

He also called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), its state counterpart, Red Cross and philanthropists to act

now.

“Until government at all levels become proactive in addressing the challenges of climate change in Nigeria, there is more to come given the vulnerability of the country to the impact of climate change.

“Kogi State government should, as a matter of urgency, develop its Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action (KGASPA) towards addressing climate change. Kogi State Ministry of Environment should be charged with the responsibility of driving this process,” he said.

He urged Governor Ibrahim Idris to be proactive on issues of environment and climate change while also calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the Climate Change Commission Bill into law.

Expert makes case for proper autoclave sidings installation

P

ROPER installation of auto clave sidings has been de scribed as a challenge to building professionals on site.

Project Manager, Nigerite Limited, Osubor Dennis Afamefuna, an engineer, said this at a training session for at the company’s head office in Lagos.

Afamefuna said: “It is necessary for us at Nigerite to engage stakeholders in the building profession to train them to understand the techniques of installation which will enable them be atop the profession.

“Frequent trainings will reawaken professionals on what to do, especially when it comes to installations in building construction.

Such trainings will help them provide solutions when dealing with clients,” he said.

He explained that autoclave sid-

By Okwy Iroegbu Asst. Editor

ings (Nigerite’s sidings planks) is a fibre-cement product produced under high temperature and pressure through a system known as “Autoclaving”. It is 100 per cent free of asbestos and environmentfriendly.

He said the sidings are designed for protection and decoration of facades, exterior and interior alike in building construction, adding that the sidings has high aesthetical value, good strength under any weather condition and can be used to achieve curves and create architectural designs.

He told the trainees that, because the sidings are light, they do not require load resistance. “Autoclave sidings have several uses and applications. It can be used on all wall surfaces and frames, it is faster to

install compared to conventional wall finish.

“CSK self-drilling screw is required to install autoclave to fasten the sidings planks directly to the studs, suitable for galvanised steel stud members to offer easier drill and better grip strength,” he said.

Okunola Kazeem, a participant at the event thanked Nigerite Limited for organising the training free.

He said the training was a welcome development in the industry and that it would afford participants the opportunity to understand all aspects of autoclave sidings installation.

“As far as I am concerned, this training is to familiarise participants with techniques of installing autoclave sidings. There are some aspects we do neglect in the installation, but with this training, we can correct them”, he said.

Offa local govt awards N311m road, water contracts

T

HE Offa Local Government area of Kwara State will spend N311,085,000 on the rehabilitation of 14 kilometres township roads and sinking of three motorised boreholes Offa.

This is part of the activities to mark the 20 years of the anniversary of the council, which started at the weekend in Offa.

Chairman of the council, Prince Saheed Popoola, listed some of the roads to be asphalted as Sheikh Bulala-Oba Adegboye road, Oba Moronfolu-Okun Oye road.

The construction companies are Sultana Integrated Company Nigeria LTD, Passion Builders LTD

•Celebrates 20th anniversary From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

and COM-CAT Nigeria LTD. He said: “Today, our administration is awarding contracts in respect of a 14-kilometre of our township roads at a total cost of N207,585,000, including all the mandatory taxes. In the same vein, considering the importance of water to human life, we shall also award contracts for the sinking of three motorised boreholes in each of the 12 wards that constitute Offa LGA at a total sum of N103,500,000.

“Meanwhile, we hope our people will take good care of these motorised boreholes in all the areas where they will be sunk. Very soon, we shall start to beautify various roundabouts across the local government to make our roads aesthetically pleasing to road users.

“We have decided to sign both contracts on 36 motorised boreholes across all the wards in Offa LGA and that of road construction as well as their lagging-off today to mark the 20-years of the creation of the council.”

O you've found your dream

By Okwy Iroegbu Asst. Editor home — but what about the community around it? If out kids might not have a good you make one of these common grasp of the schools or children's blunders, that home may not be activities in his neighbourhood and think it's a fine place to raise so great after all.

Buyers spend months combing a family. Likewise, that cothrough property magazines worker with young children looking for that perfect home: the might not have a good handle on dwelling that fits their budget the arts scene and places for and their dreams of a better life- young professionals to mingle after work. Talk to someone style.

But how much time do they who's in your situation — or the spend looking at the area around situation in which you will soon it? Not nearly enough, some- find yourself.

2. They assume and don't times people base their choice on friends and associates who may verify.

People often move into areas have travelled the road before to that they hear have low crime take a decision.

Some people focus on the house rates, good schools , good restauand only secondarily look at the rants and shops without verifyneighbourhood which is rather ing these facts themselves or see unfortunate because it should for themselves.

Likewise, they don't independactually be the reverse. ently verify that a It is possible to c e r t a i n have a beautiful ‘Buyers spend is and glorious months combing neighborhood outside of prohouse, but one through property posed infrastrucmay find his lifestyle suffering if magazines look- ture upgrade for instance, on flood the neighbouring for that plain or landslide hood isn't a good areas. They also fit. The people, perfect home: don't border to amenities, schools the dwelling check records to and a host of other that fits their see if an area is refactors are what low in all types help determine budget and their ally of crime. whether you're dreams of a Solution: Don't living or just exassume. Get it in isting. better lifestyle. writing.

1. They think But how much Make sure your short-term. agent knows your Often, moves time do they and conhappen because spend looking at needs cerns. In addition people are in a the area around you may go a transition of some greater extent by sort — getting it’ talking to local pomarried, divorc-

ing, downsizing or getting ready to start a family. Although their circumstances change rapidly, people tend to buy from their old mindset rather than thinking about how their live and circumstance are changing or have changed.

"They are conflicted and may still want to be very urban when a sidewalk neighborhood with kiddies all around would suit their new lifestyle much better.

Similarly, people moving after divorce or the death of a spouse may look for a safe suburban area and fail to consider the risk of social isolation in a neighborhood without nearby amenities such as shops, super markets, place of worship or even restaurants.

Solution: Get advise tailored to your situation.

Most people start their neighbourhood research by talking to friends and co-workers. Although it's helpful to solicit advice or suggestions on neighborhoods, consider the source, some people just don’t have what it takes to advice you on this matter.

For instance, that friend with-

lice, vigilante groups, community development authority or somebody that should know about recent trends in crime in that area probably due to the fact that he or she has lived around for years.

And if you want to know what a "good school" looks like in the area, go out and visit one, take a tour and talk to some principals, head teachers , you may just discover that the school is overrated.

3. They underestimate or ignore the travel time Sure, that neighbourhood with the tree-lined streets and charming Victorianhouseslooksgreat.Buthowmuch will you get to soak up this ambience if you're leaving the house at dawn and coming home late?

And how much money will you have left over to spend at the weekend if your fuel consumption is draining your wallet.

While some people buy into a bad community simply because they adore a neighbourhood, others do it unknowingly. They come to look at a house in the middle of the day and think, "This drive isn't so far." Then, whentheymoveinandmakethedrive at rush hour, it turns out to take twice as long.

‘They are conflicted and may still want to be very urban when a sidewalk neighborhood with kiddies all around would suit their new lifestyle much better’ •Contributions, questions? e-mail: quichi3cities@yahoo.com

29

TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

E-mail:- law@thenationonlineng.net

The 51st Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has ended in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. It was time for a critical assessment of the crises-ravaged judiciary. Far-reaching decisions were taken at the conference, which was described by lawyers as largely successful. JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU and JOSEPH JIBUEZE report.

• Daudu (SAN) (fifth from left) flanked by Bar leaders at the conference

Lawyers rise for Salami •Demand Court of Appeal President’s reinstatement •Condemn Dalhatu Adamu’s appointment • Seek reduction of CJN’s powers •Advise overhaul of NJC

F

OR the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), nothing could be more irksome than the purported suspension of the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA) Justice Ayo Salami, by the National Judicial Council (NJC) during the pendency of his suit against former Chief Justice of Nigeria(CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu and others. The NBA, at the preconference National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting preceding its Annual General Conference last Sunday, protested the suspension, and advised President Goodluck Jonathan against acting on NJC’s advice to retire Justice Salami.

Hardly had NBA spoken than the President appointed Justice Dalhatu Adamu as acting PCA. Unexpectedly, when the NBA rose from its general conference on Friday, it returned to the Salami issue in its communiqué. It urged the President to reinstate him and demanded a reduction of the powers of the CJN, who is also the chairman of the NJC and the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).

The NBA was not done yet. It also urged the

President not to appoint anyone who has directly or indirectly participated in the “ongoing embarrassing murk at the apex judicial body.” This call may be coming too late, as the President yesterday swore in Justice Dahiru Musdapher, a key actor in the Katsina-Alu/ Salami saga, as acting CJN pending the Senate’s confirmation.

If the NBA had its way, it would have preferred that someone be appointed from outside the Supreme Court as CJN, to according to it, “ensure transparency and continued sanctity of the judicial process,” Explaining why it wants the CJN’s powers reduced, NBA said there was need for such reduction to prevent abuse. In the communiqué signed by its President, Joseph Daudu (SAN), NBA said because of the overconcentration of powers on the CJN by the 1999 Constitution, there was an alleged abuse of such powers by Katsina-Alu, particularly in all matters leading to the face-off between him and Justice Salami.

•Judicial integrity at stake over investigation

•Continued on page 31

•‘NBA is right to withdraw members’ from NJC - P.30 •‘Magistrates need more protection’ - P.34

30

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

LAW PERSONALITY Okey Wali (SAN) is the Alternate Chairman of the just-concluded Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference held in Port Harcourt. He spoke with journalists on the face-off between the NBA and the National Judicial Council (NJC). JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU was there.

‘NBA is right to withdraw members from NJC’ W HAT is your assessment of the conference?

We thank God. To the glory of God, we have come to a successful end of the conference with all the planning, sleepless nights, and all that. I am a very happy man today that we have finally come to the end of it all. This is, indee, a very successful conference without any fear of sounding immodest. We had several sessions and I don’t know of any of our conferences in recent times that had been better attended in terms of numbers.

How do you see the turnout?

We had even pre-conference registration of over 5,000 lawyers, which is a record; we have never had over 2,000 before this time. And more people registered at the conference venue. So, we had about 8,000 lawyers in this conference and with several break away sessions in several places.

What areas need improvement?

The only thing I hope we really have to work on for purposes of the future are the sections. The sections must be alive to their responsibilities because to a large extent, they seem to forget themselves, that this is a conference where the sections are still running their programmes.

They organise very beautiful sectional conferences, but when they come to Annual General Conferences, they now look up to the Central Organising Committee.

Meanwhile, it is supposed to be the sections running their programmes.

What other snag did you notice?

And even our own appointed managers also were not up to it. That was the snag.

You’ll find out that you are in the Conference Planning Committee, there is a session going on somewhere and somebody is calling you that there are no glasses for

water, it can’t work that way.

The sections must be able to manage their sessions during our annual conferences; this is one lesson I found out in this conference.

A number of far- reaching resolutions were taken. How do you see those resolutions?

Yes, a number of fundamental resolutions were really taken I was very, very delighted.

They include resolutions from legal justice sector matters to human nature, talking about trust funds for the indigent and impoverished, for areas or countries suffering from famine such as Somalia and so on.

It has struck the Bar to create trust fund for the welfare of humanity and mankind in general. So, this is remarkable. Well, a number of critical resolutions were on very topical issues of the moment. There is no doubt that they will affect the turn of events from now on.

What do you consider to be the unique features of this conference?

Well we had over 5,000 pre-conference registrations and that is a record. We have never had 2,000 pre-conference registrations. Believe that this is one of the heaviest attended conferences of the NBA. The records are there.

Another good thing about this conference is that we have located venues around the hub. So it is not a conference where everybody is within one premises. So you have people at the Civic Centre, the main hub, even within the Civic Centre, you have about three sessions.

There is the VIP hall upstairs There is another hall on the other side of the building.

There is the state House of Assembly, there is the Ministry of Justice, there is the Court premise. So you can’t tell the number of people we have in this conference by going to one place alone but from the records, it is

undoubtedly the best attended conference in a long while.

The NBA decided to withdraw its members from the National Judicial Council (NJC) and also directed the new Senior Advocates of Nigeria not take the silk wig.

How will this further the course of the administration of justice in the country?

We are all in the justice delivery system and administration. You know that the Bar and the Bench are members of the some family and like every family, people are bound to disagree from time to time, what is important is for people to recognise that there is nothing personal about this issue.

What do you mean by this?

Yes, they are all issues of principle and we have a very proactive president, who is able supported y the NEC of NBA. So, none of those decisions is the decision of J. B. Daudu (SAN).

You were here today and saw the acclamation and the affirmation of what NEC decided at the pre-conference NEC meeting where all those decisions were made about withdrawing lawyers from the NJC. The Bar has always had one issue or the other with the NJC beyond this point.

Why is it like this now?

In fact, it has come to a point where you are part of the NJC, but you are not part of the disciplinary actions of the NJC. Where issues of discipline arise, lawyers are excluded. So, what are you doing there? If you are a member, you are a member for all purposes. Those are some of the issues, but in a nutshell, it is a family affair and I believe that we all recognise that we are all members of the Bar, both the Bench and the Bar. If you are on the Bench, your first calling is on the Bar. We are a family and we shall resolve it.

•Okey Wali

Musdapher steps in as CJN

By Joseph Jibueze

• Justice Musdapher

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has announced the appointment of Justice Dahiru Musdapher as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). The appointment was made known via an August 27 statement signed by Special Adviser to the President, (Media and Publicity), Dr. Reuben Abati.

“His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR has in the exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 231(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, approved the appointment of Honourable Justice Dahiru Musdapher, CFR as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria pending Senate confirmation.

“The National Judicial Council had recommended the appointment of Honourable Justice Dahiru Musdapher, CFR as Chief Justice of Nigeria to replace the outgoing Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice A.I. Katsina-Alu, GCFR who is due to retire from the Bench on Sunday August 28, 2011 when he attains the mandatory retirement age of 70 years,” the statement said.

Musdapher was sworn in at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja, yesterday.

Who is he?

Justice Musdapher was born on July 15, 1942 in Babura Town, Jigawa State, Nigeria.

He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2003. He previously served as Chief Judge of the Kano State Judiciary from 1979 to 1985, and as a member of the Court of Appeal from 1985 until 2003.

Married to Hajiya Fatimah Dahiru Musdapher (nee Suleiman Galadima), Justice Musdapher’s great-grand father was a Fulani scholar, a renowned and respected Islamic jurist and teacher who migrated from Kanem Bornu Empire in the mid 1800s and pursued a lifelong mission of teaching and Islamic missionary work.

He eventually settled in Babura Town, currently in Jigawa State. His Father, also a renowned Islamic Scholar ‘Mallam Musdapher Musa’ served as a Principal Advisor to several District Heads across the Kano Native Authority during the colonial era, for decades before he was eventually enthroned as the District Head of Babura Local Government Area.

The acting CJN’s father was also the first Headmaster of the first primary school in Babura. He passed away in 1993 as the Head of a large and respected family leaving behind over 300 children, grandchildren and great-grand children.

Justice Musdapher attended the Babura Elementary School (1950-53); Birnin Kudu Middle School (1954-56); Rumfa College, Kano (1957-62); Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, (1963-64); University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies, (1964-67); Inns of Court School of Law

(Middle Temple) (1964-67) and the Nigerian Law School 1967-68.

He was into Private Legal Practice between 1968 and 76 and became AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice, Kaduna State from 1976 till 1978. He served as Judge of the High Court of Kano State and later Chief Judge, Kano State Judiciary from 1979 to 1985.

Justice Musdapher was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 1985 and to the Supreme Court in 2003.

He was a regular Contributor/Discussant, BBC West Africa Service (1964-1967); Member, Kano Emirate Council (19681975); Member, Kano Metropolitan Council (1969-1976); Non-Executive Director, NEPA Board (1974-1976); and Director, Kano Co-operative Bank (now part of Unity Bank) (1972-1976).

His hobbies are reading, playing scrabble and crosswords and travelling. He got the national honours of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 2003 and Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 2008.

Justice Musdapher is said to be a very quick reader. He could read vast amounts of text very quickly with unbelievable understanding. He believes in routines and has perfected a simple routine that he has stuck to for over 35years. Those who have been close to him over the years can tell exactly what he is doing at every point of the day.

He is also said to have never bothered to learn how to drive a car, even though he got his first car since the late 1960s. He always has a driver at hand.

He spent only two years in the elementary school. The teachers were convinced that the young lad must have been memorising the dictionary as his vocabulary was clearly beyond the norm. He was a voracious reader who devoured everything that came his way.

Through the traditional system, he mastered a good portion of the Holy Qur’an and acquired intensive knowledge in Arabic Language and grammar; as well as the

foundational principles of Islamic law.

He was classmates with several Nigerians including the Late General Sani Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 to 1998.

After concluding his Secondary education, he secured a job at the Northern Regional Ministry of Finance in Kaduna as a clerical officer in 1963. Shortly afterwards he secured admission to study at the Institute of Administration, in Zaria (Which later became Ahmadu Bello University) Some of his classmates were Justice Umaru Abdullahi, Justice Katsina-Alu, among others. He left for the United Kingdom to conclude his legal training in 1964.

He was called to the British bar in 1967 (Middle Temple) He became quite famous as a regular outside contributor and discussant in the West African Service of the BBC as well as the Hausa service from 1964 to 67. Notably, he was in the BBC studios as a discussant when the ugly events of January 1966 in which the Sardauna of Sokoto and Prime Minister Balewa were murdered in a bloody coup.

On return to Nigeria, he proceeded to the Law School where he was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1968.

Unlike most of his colleagues and seniors who opted for a career in public service from the onset, he chose to pursue a career in Private Legal practice together with the Late Kaloma Ali in Kano.

During those early years, he was said to be one of the most notable and sought after Legal Practitioners throughout the northern region. He made appearances before all the High Courts of the Northern region.

Assuming the Senate clears Justice Musdapher, how he steers the judiciary out of the crises of confidence it faces remains to be seen. Justice Musdapher, a close ally of Justice Katsina-Alu, has his work cut out for him.

He is a defendant in the suit filed by President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, over his suspension.

His predecessor’s tenure was marked by unending controversy. Will Justice Musdapher’s reign be different?

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

31

LAW COVER CONT’D

Lawyers rise for Salami •Continued from page 29

NBA said the CJN should henceforth, cease to be NJC Chairman and all other similar constitutional and statutory bodies, such as FJSC, the National Judicial Institute (NJI), and the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC).

“The ominous dark cloud in the polity today is traceable to the fact that the Constitution has unwittingly conferred upon the office of the CJN too much powers without any checks on the occupant of the office whatsoever, which powers subtly encourage abuse of power and concomitant corruption of the legal and judicial system,” NBA said.

The association suggested that the CJN should no longer appoint other members of the NJC. NBA said the purported suspension of Justice Salami by the NJC, done in full knowledge of pending litigation in the Federal High Court Abuja on the subject-matter of the competence of the NJC, its agents and servants, to discipline one of the parties to the proceedings, is not only “legal anathema” but is mala fide.

According to the NBA, the suspension is “unacceptable, unconstitutional, illegal and damaging to the image of the nation, the credibility of the judiciary, the legal profession and our fledgling democracy.”

It added that the appointment of Justice Adamu as acting PCA is a breach of due process and rule of law.

“The President is advised to reinstate the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Salami forthwith,” NBA said.

Salami went to a Federal High Court, Abuja, to challenge NJC’s recommendation that he should apologise to Katsina-Alu and the Council.

The defendants are Justice Musdapher; members of the NJC’s Fact-Finding Committee- Justice Umaru Abdullahi; Justice Emmanuel Ayoola; Justice Dominic Edozie; Justice Michael Akpiroroh and Mrs. Rakia Sarki Ibrahim.

Justice Salami is praying the court to set aside NJC’s recommedation and declare his subsequent suspension illegal.

Lawyers are unanimous in their condemnation of Salami’s purported suspension. They want the President to rescind the decision.

Two former NBA presidents Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) frowned on the development.

Akeredolu said: “The recent development in the legal profession leaves no one in doubt that some of us will stop at nothing in our bid to pull down the erstwhile structures of integrity erected, painstakingly, by the founding fathers of this profession.”

Agbakoba said: “I am suggesting a constitutional amendment that would make the CJN to cease to be head of judicial institutions, except the Supreme Court. The NJC should comprise current and retired CJNs, with the immediate past CJN as head, so that the current CJN would have nothing to do with the overall functions or control of the body.

“Going too far into administration and overseeing the entire Nigerian judiciary, that, I think, is too much for the CJN,” Agbakoba said.

Chief Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN) said: “The suspension has shown that the NJC is unfair to Justice Salami.” To Mr Yusuf Alli (SAN) Alli: “It is an unprecedented thing that has never happened in the history of the Judiciary in Nigeria.

It is very sad. It is indeed, a sad development.”

Human rights activist, Femi Falana said: “The NJC ought to have waited for the judicial process to run its full course, while Lagos lawyer and activist, Bamidele Aturu said: “The news is a condemnable illegality.”

•Katsina-Alu

•Salami

•Adoke

The NBA believes that the Salami issue is a test case for the Judiciary and it seems it is prepared to see it to its logical conclusion. The association asked its representatives on the NJC to withdraw from the Council until its demands for constitutional reform of the composition, chairmanship and functions of the NJC are met.

The NBA demanded that its five nominees on the NJC be increased to at least 10 through necessary constitutional amendments.

“Furthermore, the provisions of Paragraph (i) 20 (i) of the Third Schedule, Part 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which preclude all NBA nominees on the NJC from dealing with judicial matters other than appointments into the superior courts of record (i.e. only one item out of thirteen) is certainly discriminatory and unwarranted and should be out rightly amended. After all Judges play prominent role in the disciplining of lawyers,” NBA said.

It added: “Furthermore, it is resolved that any suitable Nigerian with requisite experience, impeccable records of service and competence (like a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, former President of the NBA, Professor of Law, or any legal practitioner etc) could be appointed as Chairman for only one term of five years; “The next CJN should not be any one who has either directly or indirectly participated in the on-going embarrassing murk at the apex judicial body and at best must be appointed from outside the Supreme Court to ensure transparency and continued sanctity of the judicial process; “Appointments into the Bench at whatever level, the Higher Bench especially, must henceforth be predicated upon merit and the recommendation of the Bar to ensure that only quality people are elevated as Judicial Officers and that corruption is reduced to the barest minimum.

“Successive leadership of the judiciary should be trained on leadership, supervision, delegation, mentoring, coaching and human resource management as well as to ensure that relationships between bench & bar as well as amongst judicial officers are characterized by mutual respect, dignity, tolerance, civility, discretion, good humour, maturity, calmness, wisdom, transparency, tolerance and propriety, hallmarks of the esteemed learned profession; “The Bar and the Bench must show mutual respect for each other so that the administration of justice would not be jeopardised. All levels

of government in Nigeria must ensure the independence of the judiciary. The Rule of Law must prevail in Nigeria and the NBA shall keep a vigilant watch to ensure this at all time.”

However, it remains to be seen how NBA will deal with lawyers who defied its orders to be sworn-in as Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs).

The body had urged all lawyers and the newly appointed SANs to boycott the swearing-in ceremony fixed for August 26 because the date falls within the Annual General Conference. But the appointees flouted the order.

“In the event that the newly appointed SANs disobey NEC Resolution, their names shall not only be entered into a Roll of Dishonour and their membership of the NBA withdrawn, they shall not be recognised as Senior Advocates at any function of the NBA,” the association had warned.

The conference was declared open by the President Jonathan, represented by the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), who delivered a goodwill message.

Some lawyers, in voicing their disgust at Justice Salami’s suspension and President Jonathan backing of it, booed Adoke as he spoke, interrupting him.

Rivers State Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi formally welcomed all participants as the Host Governor, while Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka gave an interesting and profound keynote address.

The conference was also graced by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, represented by Mr Emmanuel Jime; while Senator Ita Enang was in attendance as well. The President of the West Africa Bar Association (WABA), Mr. Moussa Coulibaly and the President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), Mrs. Boma Ozobia, delivered goodwill messages.

The conference consisted of an opening ceremony, a two special showcase sessions, and twenty other sessions on different areas and interests driven by the three major sections in the NBA: Section on Legal Practice (SLP), Section on Business Law and the Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL).

Other fora such as Corporate Counsel Forum, Women’s Forum, Young Lawyers Forum, Human Rights Institute, British-Nigerian Lawyers Forum, UK/NBA Session, Judges’ Forum and the NBA-NDCC Collaboration Forum, also held sessions.

Topics discussed included Towards a New Nigeria; The Quest for Good Governance, and the Rule of Law; The Role of Lawyers in the Anti-Money Laundering Regime; The Role of Legal Practitioner as Strategic Partner in the fight against Money Laundering; Facilitating Investments and Regulation in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry: The Role of Lawyers; and the New Tax Regime: Integrity of Tax Collection and the Relevance of Tax Appeal Tribunals.

On President Jonathan’s six-year single tenure proposal, NBA said it is a distraction as well as opportunistic and self-serving, as the President was expected to build on the gains of the last elections rather than on political exigencies.

“The President should rather concentrate on economic transformation and deliverables rather than mundane constitutional amendments,” NBA said.

On the 1999 Constitution, NBA said it should be further amended to import items in the Chapter Two that grant or enhance social, economic and political rights of Nigerians to Chapter IV of the same Constitution so that the said items become justiciable.

NBA added: “The Nigerian governments and legislatures should pass laws for the effective enforcement of social, economic and cultural rights by Nigerians irrespective of indigineship or residency; “Government at all levels should urgently take measures to address the contentious yet never-ending issue of ethnic identity or indigenship versus citizenship with greater emphasis on Residency Rights so as to effectively address and permanently solve the recurring ethnic crises in many parts of the country.”

On Islami banking, NBA said: “The opposition to non-interest banking was as a result of lack of information as well as undue emphasis on terminologies of particular religious beliefs.

Non-interest banking should be secularised and shorn of any divisive principles or terminologies.”

NBA recommended ways to move the legal profession forward and strengthen human rights in Nigeria. It said there should be urgent strengthening of the internal control, regulatory mechanisms and disciplinary procedures in the legal profession as well as effective oversight by the relevant committees.

“The powers and duties of the Bench are clearly articulated in the Constitution and other relevant statutory enactments, the most important being the promotion and protection of the Rule of Law and Due Process.

“The Rule of Law and Due Process have lately been subjected to near unprecedented and debasing attacks by those actually entrusted with the responsibility of promoting and protecting the sacred principle. A crooked and corrupt judiciary will promote anarchy and insecurity in the polity.

“The Bar and the Bench must necessarily have a relationship that is mutually dependent and reenforcing and that any blot on the judiciary is detrimental to the polity at large,” NBA said.

‘The next CJN should not be any one who has either directly or indirectly participated in the on-going embarrassing murk at the apex judicial body and at best must be appointed from outside the Supreme Court to ensure transparency and continued sanctity of the judicial process’

Magistrate’s Court adjourns Editor’s wife’s suit till October 26 MAGISTRATE’S Court, Ikeja, Lagos has adjourned a suit by wife of former Daily Times editor, Mr Dapo Aderinola, Olufunsho, against a lawyer, Mr Moses Olatunji, till October 26 for report of settlement.

She sued him for allegedly failing to obey a quit notice after being served with an order to vacate a four-bedroom bungalow at 10 (Plot 688), Redemption Close, Omole Estate Phase II, Ikeja, Lagos.

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By Joseph Jibueze

Olatunji’s counsel, Mr. S.O Olorungbemi, complained of media coverage of court proceedings of the case during hearing last Tuesday. He asked Mrs Aderinola’s lawyers to “desist from releasing information to the press.”

The plaintiff’s lawyer, Mr. K.O Adebayo, said the media could not be stopped from reporting the case as it was being heard in open court.

Adebayo told the magistrate, Mrs A.O Komolafe that although Olatunji had moved out of the house and handed over the property, he was yet to pay rent arrears.

Olurungbemi promised to meet with the plaintiff’s lawyer last Friday with a proposal on how to settle the debt and mean profit.

Apart from the rent arrears, Aderinola is also asking Folorunsho to pay her the sum of N41,670 as mean profit (the average expected profit on the rent as at February 2010).

Mrs Aderinola said she is entitled to the bungalow with its two living rooms, twobedroom boys’ quarters and an orchard.

She said the house was let to the defendant at N500,000 per annum, but he allegedly refused to pay rent since January 1, 2009.

The plaintiff urged the court to order the defendant to pay her the money, as well as N41,679 per month, being the apartment’s monthly rent value, until he gives up possession of the house.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

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LAW & SOCIETY THE 2011 ANNUAL GENERAL CONFERENCE OF NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION IN PORT HARCOURT

•NBA President, Joseph Bodunrin Daudu (SAN), left and former NBA President, OCJ Okocha (SAN)

•From left: Governor Adams Oshiomhole; his Lagos State counterpart Raji Fashola (SAN), and Rivers Governor Chibuike Amaechi

•From left: Ranti Daudu (third); VP NBA Dr Ikpeze Ogugua and a participant

•From left: Chief Mamman Usman (SAN) Chairman Section on Business Law (SBL), Yemi Candid-Johnson (SAN) and a participant

•Fabian Ajoguru (SAN), left and Paul Erokoro (SAN)

•De Niwigire (SAN) and Chief John Ochoga

•Alternative Chairman, Technical Committee for Port Harcourt Conference, Okey Wali (SAN) and Abdul Rasheed Muritala

•From left: Rivers State Commissioner for Education Dame Alice L. Nemi, Nkoli Obi Awa, and Florence Nemi-Clover

•A cross section of participants

•Participants at the event

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

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LAW & SOCIETY SWEARING IN OF SENIOR ADVOCATES OF NIGERIA (SAN) AT THE SUPREME COURT, ABUJA

• Supreme Court Judges

•From left: Anthonia Titilayo Akinlawon with Chief Oluwemimo Adepoju Ogunde, both new SANs

•Some of the participants and lawyers

•From left: Prof. Imran Oluwole Smith, both new SANs and Chief Ikechukwu Ezechukwu

•From left: Chief Dan Ose Okoh, Agatha Obiozo Mbamali and Isaac Nwazue Ijioma both new SANs

•Former Justice Minister, Judge Bola Ajibola and Governor of Sokoto State, Aliyu Wamakko

•National Chairman, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh with Chief Osita Nnaji, one of the new SANs

•Anthonia Titilayo Akinlawo (SAN) with family.

•From left: Chief Ferdinad Oshike Orbit, Yahaya Mahmood and Kennet Ekene Mozia

•The new Senior Advocates of Nigeria

PHOTOS: AKINOLA OLADOKUN

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

34

FROM THE COURT

‘Magistrates need more protection’ •Merge EFCC, ICPC, says lawyer

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LAGOS-based legal practitioner, Mr Emeka Okpoko, has urged the government to take note of the security concerns raised by magistrates.

The magistrates complained that most of them go without police orderlies even though they handle criminal matters. Okpoko thinks magistrates need more protection than they get a the moment.

“The demands of the magistrates are perfectly in shape and in order,” he said. “Let me tell you, I am not only advocating for the magistrates, I am also including the judges. Every one of them deserves protection. The job they do is very sensitive.”

Okpoko, a law graduate of the University of Nigeria, Enugu campus, added: “There are cases a judge or magistrate may be handling and the accused person will not appreciate the nitty-gritty of the law.

“He does not appreciate the gravity of what is involved; he does not know the law, so he is entitled to assume that the person who is punishing him is the magistrate, and there are people who are also there to advise them wrongly.

“The accused person would then form an opinion and assume that the judge or magistrate is his enemy. Mind you, look at the type of society we are; a society where there are killings and kidnappings going on here and there.

“It is very important that magistrates and judges be given police orderlies. Politicians are having orderlies; businessmen who have money have orderlies; even fraudsters have orderlies, but those who are performing constitutional functions with their lives at stake, you want to restrain them from having orderlies.

“It is bad and we have been saying it. In fact, we have expressed that opinion times without number. They require police orderlies in the interest of their lives and for them to be able to perform their duties without fear or favour because that is the oath of their office.

“When a magistrate is in a position where he can be intimidated by the accused, do you still expect him to discharge his functions without fear or favour? Mind you, some of them are still very young.

Nigeria is a jungle, so for Christ sake, I subscribe to the opinion that they should be allowed to have police orderlies.”

Okpoko, called to bar 22 years ago, said the Evidence Act is long due for a review. “Our evidence Act is anachronistic; it has refused to grow with time. Life is dynamic and a lot of changes are being affected in the world. Technology is being improved upon on daily basis; information technology is developing, but our Evidence Act has remained stagnant.

“There is need to modify the Act to meet the challenges and realities of today or else a lot of commercial transactions will have problems.

“In fact a lot of them are having problem in court because even correspondence exchanged between parties can suffer problem of admissibility in evidence. There so many new developments that need to be reflected and the only way to reflect it is to amend the Evidence Act.” The lawyer, who holds a Masters d in Law from the University of

•Okpoko

By Joseph Jibueze

Lagos, said the standard of legal education is declining because the standard of education generally is on the downward slide.

“First, we have to go back to the Universities. You will find out that academic standard there is declining too. A lot of people graduate from our Universities without being competent because, they did not go through the fire of intellectual learning which many of us went through. Evidently, the standard is dropping and the effect would ultimately reflect on the larger society,” he said.

He said the legal profession is affected, noting that only those who know their onion succeed. “The law profession is an extremely jealous profession; jealous in the sense that you cannot combine it with other things and expect to do well.

You cannot be an advocate and at the same time a businessman, you will never do well in advocacy.

“However, if you look at the practice of law today, lawyers have more access to law materials than what it used to be in the past. Today we have access to publications; we have access to the internet and e-library. With a touch on the computer system you can do research on any area of law.

“But whether or not the lawyers, of today are spending their resources to buy law publications to equip themselves is a different ball game. There are so many good lawyers but there some who are not serious-minded,” Okpoko said.

Okpoko, who set up Straddle Partners after years of working in several other law firms, said he does not support the argument that retired judges should handle election petitions so that serving judges can concentrate of court cases.

“I do not share that opinion because if a Judge is retired he should stay in retirement. His retirement is based on the law. Why should we amend the law to bring them back? When you retire, you should go and rest, so that others may come up. They have done their bit; there are other competent judges that can do the job,” he said.

Okpoko backed the call for a merger of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Commission (ICPC).

“If you look at the laws that set them up, you will discover that the line between them is quite thin. I have read the laws; there is a thin line that divides the two anti-graft bodies. The Nigeria Police had been working single-handedly before the emergence of ICPC and EFCC. “Why should they not be merged? I support that they be merged to have one body. I believe the merger of the two will achieve a better result,” he said.

Okpoko said experienced lawyers, not just Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), should be considered for appointment as AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

“If you look at the Constitution, it’s says 15 years post-call. You don’t have to be a SAN to be an Attorney-General of the Federation. If you look at the political history of Nigeria, you will discover that there were AGFs that were not Senior Advocates.

“What is required is that you must have practised law for 15 years. There is nothing too enormous about the function of AGF. Some lawyers less than 15 years at the bar have been made SANs. The requirement to be a SAN is 10 years. This means that the Constitution envisages that those who have practised for 15 years are competent for the office of AGF. “It is a political appointment.

The only added advantage is that a SAN has a cloak or appearance of excellence surrounding him. He is deemed to have excelled. The profession has adjudged him excellent, but if you are not a SAN they could do further research to know whether you are good or not.”

Despite the crises of confidence rocking the judiciary, Okpoko still sees a bright future. “The Nigeria judicial system is improving as the years go by. I see a bright future; I see radical improvements. The rules are being changed to ensure speedy dispensation of justice. The Court of Appeal has changed their rules.

“Lagos State has also changed its rules which are being copied by other jurisdictions. I see tremendous improvement and I believe the future is bright. Lawyers are trying to key in to globalisation and practice law the way it’s done in other advanced countries.”

Asked why he chose law as a profession, he said: “I practically enjoyed the dressing and grammar, so I fell in love with the profession right from when I was a small boy.

“I love the way they argue issues; the way they articulate points and the way they look at various issues that affect them and form an opinion. It is a profession I fell in love with long ago.

“If you look critically at your Bible, you will see a lot of advocacy. If you read the Psalms, you will see that David was a great advocate, read Psalm 51 and you will see great advocacy by David. Jesus Christ was a great advocate looking at the way he meandered and treated lots of issues.

“I have read a lot of books like Macbeth, Julius Caesar among others. I like literary works, I like intellectual works, I fell in love with Law right from my time in primary school and I am enjoying it.”

LAW AND PUBLIC POWER

with gabriel AMALU email:gabrielamalu1@yahoo.com

Nigeria: A tale of errors

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HE past week has been testy for our country in many ways. I choose to call the events a tale of errors after the famous work

by William Shakespeare: the comedy of errors. The appropriation of that title is metaphorical and literal. While Nigerians were feeling grumpy and disconsolate over the contrived crises in the Judiciary and the Bar Association, the Nigerian Boko Haram declared war against the international community. Again members of MOSSOB, travelling to attend a ceremony in a popular hotel in Enugu, were arrested and detained for seeking to forcefully overthrow some governors.

What a week. Now the rested former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Katsina-Alu, must be wondering as to what happened to the time tested conservatism of the bar and the bench. He will be realising though somewhat late, that the custodian of a bench must treat it with honour, otherwise it could be turned to a footstool by all and sundry.

The Nigeria Bar Association on their part sounded imperial against the new Silks and their friends, as they tried to counter what they considered the excess of the departing CJN.The foremost combatants, Justice Katsina-Alu and Justice Ayo Salami are reputed to be classmates, who in the twilight of their careers, turned constant duelists and formidable enemies. What are at stake are their life choices, and its fall outs. Both swore to dispense justice; but while Justice KatsinaAlu is obviously conservative, Justice Salami prefers to be an activist.

The first will not rock the boat; the second will do so, if there are good reasons to; so there is a fight between traditional justice and social justice. The people naturally have taken sides, and pieces of the plummeted bench, is now flying in the air as instruments of battle.

The public believes that partisan politics is at the root of the current crisis, particularly the results of the election petitions at the various tribunals. While Justice Katsina-Alu as Chairman of National Judicial Council (NJC) was accused of meddling in the Sokoto Election petition tribunal by Justice Ayo Salami, to favour predominant interests in the country; the sympathisers of the former have raised questions about the upturn of the elections ‘worn’ by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in states of the South west, at the appeal court tribunals.

Having gone their divergent meting our justice as they deem fit, the public has turned to a jury.

But it is the final onslaught to nail Justice Salami that has raised the current crisis. While the NJC, no doubt, has constitutional powers to discipline judges, I doubt if it meet the ends of natural justice and fair hearing to keep reviewing the findings of the Justice Babalakin panel, until one recommending ‘appropriate sanctions’ for Justice Salami is found. Again, while a mere action in court does not serve as an injunction against parties; the Supreme Court in several cases, including Ojukwu V Lagos State, have urged parties to respect the sanctity of the courts and not foist a faith accompli by their conducts on the court.

The run-up to the current court action by Justice Salami is, unfortunately, unhelpful to the judiciary as a body. When a judicial body refuses to accept a service of court process as reported in the media, and takes precipitate steps to render recourse to a court action nugatory, it could be likened to a patricide. Ordinarily, the public would expect that recourse by Justice Salami to the court would give him a reprieve until the matter is dispensed with. Now the matter has unwittingly been turned to a political persecution and a partisan law suit by the interested parties, while the mess will be left for an unfortunate Judge or Judges to clear.

While Nigerians were still galled by the putrid odour of the judicial mess, the Boko Haram chose the world stage to confront the Nigerian state. Showing off its comprehensive lack of tact and ideology, the group renounced the world institution, the United Nations. In bombing the UN headquarters they mistook it as mere attack on Nigeria.

But yet again, where was our security agencies, after our recent experiences and the celebrated inconveniences meted to Abuja residents, as they swooped on the city after the police headquarters bombing?

Again, those trying to cover up the unfortunate recourse to suicide bombing in Nigeria, will now have to seek a better tale. With the serious security threat announced audaciously to the world, President Jonathan’s administration and the Nigerian parliament must double their effort to make Nigeria a worthy business destination.

The tale of errors of the past week also played out in Enugu State.

Now but for a clear case of misplaced aggression by the Nigerian state, how would those who arrested the members of MASSOB (Movement for the sovereign state of Biafra) convince a Judge to sentence those arrested to death, the punishment for treason, for carrying around a flag and deluding themselves. The offence of waging war against a sovereign or trying to forcefully overthrow it by unconstitutional means is what is taking place in the Arab states. The interests there have stated their objectives and are taking steps to actualise it.

Except as a counter nuisance to other groups operating in the Southwest, the Niger delta and the North, MASSOB members should better be ignored. While members of these groups across the country are likely to be disillusioned by what is going on as governance in Nigeria, they are yet to mature into a threat to the sovereignty of Nigeria.

The error in arresting MASSOB members for treason is attenuated by the non-existence of sovereignty among the Southeastern states, singularly or collectively.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

LAW & SOCIETY

Lawyers demand reform in agric sector L

AWYERS have decried increasing hunger in the land, saying the agricultural sector needs a reform to boost food production.

They spoke at a one-day roundtable entitled: Towards ensuring food security in Nigeria, organised by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) in Lagos.

NIALS Director-General, Prof Epiphany Azinge (SAN) said the country needs a roadmap on agriculture.

According to him, universities, the armed forces, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), state governments and others ought to contribute to food production by having farms of their own.

He regretted that the vast arable land across the country are left fallow while millions of people go hungry everyday. He urged the government to do more towards food production.

Professor of law, Paul Idornigie, said the government could adopt the public-private partnership (PPP) in the agricultural sector.

“Government (Federal, state of local) can acquire land for agricultural purposes and enter into a partnership. Leases can also be granted to private sector participants. Government can develop agricultural facilities

By Joseph Jibueze

and contract out the services or enter into management contracts.

“The challenge to be faced is how to obtain the consent of the governor to transfer title, assign mortgage. This brings to the fore the issue of land reform, especially the amendment of the Land Use Act to draw a line between total sale of land and transfers for a certain period of time for commercial purposes,” Idornigie said.

Mr Bala Maisamari of the National Programme for Food Security, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said political will is needed to ensure food security.

Accordint to him, agriculture has high potential for employment generation and wealth creation, adding that government should provide the enabling environment.

He urged the government to intervene in Agricultural Extension Service Delivery; Production of high-value crops, agro-processing and value addition enterprises; agroforestry/forestry development and processing; and livestock production and processing.

Maisamari added that government’s input and support is also needed in veterinary input supply services; fisheries development

and processing; tractor hiring and maintenance services; farm tools implement fabrication and maintenance; orchard development and seeds and seedlings production.

Others are dry season vegetable production and marketing; agro inputs and outputs marketing; human capacity building and commodity warehousing/storage facilities management.

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Mr Lamido Sanusi Lamido, represented by Mr Isaac Okoroafor, listed key policy requirements needed to transform the agricultural sector and increase food production.

Sanusi called for the establishment of what he called an Agricultural Value Chain Research Development Fund (AVCRDF), an Agricultural Research Transformation Agency (ARTA); and a harmonisation of the roles of existing research and development institutions.

The CBN governor urged the government to leave fertiliser procurement and distribution to the private sector, and put in place a fertiliser quality regulatory framework, as well as provide targeted subsidies that will promote local manufacturing.

He added that seed production should be liberalised to encourage private sector involvement, urging the government to strengthen seed certification, provide access

to financing, and introduce “adaptive technologies to close the seed yield and quality gaps.”

Sanusi spoke on the topic: Prospecting/ actualising the Nigeria Incentive Based Risk Sharing for agricultural lending (NIRSAL) at added agro-dealers and select farmers need to be trained to offer basic advice on fertilizer and seed usage, while new conditions of service should be created for extension workers.

He said the government must focus on policies that will enable firms to compete, introduce more incentives for agro-processors, reform Land Use Act, and streamline and make transparent the process of obtaining and designing land titles.

According to Sanusi, lack of adequate funding and severe lack of access to finance by seed companies hinder food production.

He said the NIRSAL policy would encourage bank lending to agricultural sector. It would lower the high risk through the risk sharing mechanism, provide technical assistance to banks on agricultural credit cycle, and improve banks’ understanding of agricultural value chain, he said.

According to him, the risk sharing facility is designed to be a win-win for the main stakeholders, adding that banks would be rated based on their agricultural lending and social impact.

•Prof Bamidele Ogbe Solomon and Prof Azinge (SAN)

•Prof Ikenna Onyido and Prof Bola Okuneye, representing CBN Governor

•NIALS Secretary, Jame Bathnna and Prof Idornigie

•From left: Frank Uyakonwu, Alfred Akingbondere and Dr Maisari

•Emeka Nwadioke and Dr Andrew Akume

•Ijeoma Omaliko and Peter Anyebe

PHOTOS: DAVID ADEJO

36

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

NATIONAL BAR ‘A dream come true’

To be a SAN, try again and again

By John Austin Unachukwu and Joseph Jibueze

T

HE last award of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) was dogged by controversy. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) challenged in court the procedure adopted in the selection of recipients, but later withdrew the suit. Some lawyers protested this year’s award by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC), which named 30 SANs on July 7.

It approved 15 names each for last year and this year.The lawyers alleged favouritism, saying names of qualified applicants were removed despite meeting the criteria, which are integrity (25 per cent); knowledge of law (25 per cent); leadership quality (10 per cent); contribution to development of law (10 per cent); leadership qualities in the legal profession (10 per cent); and quality of law office and library (10 per cent).

The lawyers also alleged that those awarded the rank for 2011 were not interviewed as the process had not commenced. According to them, the final interview in respect of 2010 applicants was only held on March 30 and 31, this year.

“Therefore, March 30 was supposed to be the closing date for submission of 2011 applications. Nobody has submitted a form in respect of 2011, yet people were awarded the rank for this year. In order to circumvent the rule, they promoted people who were not eligible,” a source had complained.But despite the grievances, five of the 30 recipients have spoken of what it means to them.

‘I feel absolutely delighted’

L

ANRE Ogunlesi applied seven times for the rank before he was considered worthy of being a SAN. Born on December 9, 1957, he attended the University of Ife, Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), graduating in 1979.

H e was called to the Bar in July, 1980. After his national service, he joined the firm of Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN).

From October, 1982 to October, 1985, he worked with Messrs Impey & Coker (SAN).

He set up his firm - Lanre Ogunlesi & Co in 1985, and was later Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ogun State.

After six months in the late Fawehinmi’s chambers, the human rights crusader sent him a commendation letter. He wrote: “My dear Lanre, I should let you know my impression of your work since you joined my chambers.

“Although, you are less than six months old in the chambers, I honestly believe that by your standard of work and practice you have a great future in this profession. I am convinced you will be a success. Do not relax. Best wishes. Yours sincerely, Chief Gani Fawehinmi.”

Ogunlesi never relaxed. He said: “I feel absolutely delighted, great. I am very happy and grateful to Almighty God. I applied seven times for the award.”

On the contributions he intends to make to the profession with the attainment of the rank, he said: “It is difficult in present day

I

T took Mr Norrison Quakers 10 years of non-stop application to be accepted to the Inner Bar. Called to bar in 1991, he started applying from 2001.

“The journey started in 2001 and culminated in 2011. This implies that the quest for the realisation of this ambition has taken me 10 years. I feel delighted and fulfilled, it is like a dream come true.

“It is the wish of every lawyer to attain this height against the backdrop of meeting certain parameters set up by the LPPC including but not limited to contribution to legal knowledge and development through prin-

‘Journey to a dream’

J

•Ogunlesi

Nigeria to surpass the contributions of the late Chief FRA Williams (SAN), the late Mr. Kehinde Sofola (SAN), and the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN).

“However, I will endeavour to encourage the younger colleagues to maintain the standard set by these great men as regards advocacy and discipline,” he said.

If anyone is qualified to offer advice on what it takes to be a SAN, it is Ogunlesi. He identified patience and perseverance as keys, and urged other lawyers yet to get the rank to keep trying and never give up.

“They should respect constituted authority, be disciplined and focussed. Above all, they should not quit,” he advised.

‘God saved me from a harrowing experience’

U

NLIKE the others, Okechukwu Amaechi was a bit fortunate. He got the rank after his second attempt.

Called to Bar in 1986, he said: “I feel highly honoured and fulfilled by this singular honour of being conferred with the privilege of SAN by the LPPC.” He added: “It is the hallmark of attainment for a private legal practitioner, in that it is a recognition of excellence by your professional family.

“I applied once for the privilege but without success before I got it with my second application. I return all the glory to God for His grace upon me in that God did not allow me to go through the harrowing experience more than twice.

“I intend to use this status to continue to provide service to the Bar, mainly in the jurisdiction where my practice is heavy.

“By service, I mean mainly helping in moulding the younger and upcoming lawyers in the areas of character and learning, holding up myself always as a role model with the best of our professional ethics.

“I will also do my best to continue to serve the Bar in any befitting capacity /capacities I may from time to time be called upon to serve in.

“My advice to my learned colleagues who are yet to attain this rank, is to work hard

•Quakers

ciples of law enunciated and developed in cases of Legal and Constitutional significance.

“The emergence is also a confirmation of the Bench and the Bar on the suitability of an applicant. However, it serves to remind one that this is a call to further contribute to legal knowledge and development,” Quakers said.

What contributions does he intend to make to the profession with the attainment of this status, he was asked? He reponded: “Litigation for me is a passion. It is call to further contribute to legal knowledge and development.

“This will include (handling) a lot of cases of legal and constitutional significance, (and) expanding the horizon of practice by ensuring that more lawyers are absorbed into the firm.

“I also intend to ensure that the highest standards of global best practices continue to be maintained in the legal profession.”

Quakers has these words for those still eyeing the rank: “There is a saying, to score a goal you must fix your gaze on the goal and be consumed by the desire for the attainment of that goal.

“Though challenges will come, but faith in God and the virtue of perseverance will ensure that the goal is attained.

“It is, therefore, advisable for anyone desirous of attaining a goal to be steadfast and persevere and above all to have faith in God.” Quakers, who is with Olisa Agbakoba and Associates, specialises in Maritime, Human Rights, Company and Commercial Law Practice.

IBRIN Samuel Okutepa did not attain his present status by a sudden flight.

He was born when western education

was only appreciated by the elite; a time when sending a child to acquire western education was a sign of hatred by parents in rural areas and reserved only for stubborn children.

He enrolled into primary school at class two without the certainty of a sponsor. This hard decision was rewarded when due to his exceptional performance, he was promoted to primary three after his first term in primary two.

After completing his primary education at Takum Local Government Primary School, Mararaba, Taraba State, in 1980, he was recruited into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) but refused the offer. He later trained as a fire fighter by the Benue State Fire Training School, Makurdi between 1980 and 1981.

Okutepa studied at home and sat for G.C.E. O’level. He made all his papers at one sitting in 1982. Thereafter, he proceeded to the School of Basic Studies, Makurdi, to prepare for entry into the university. He studied law at the University of Jos between 1987 and 1990. He was called to the Bar in 1991.

Okutepa joined the Law firm of Messers.

F.M. E. Nezan & Co., Makurdi to “cut his legal teeth” between 1991 and 1992. Thereafter, he joined the firm of Messers E.A. Haruna & Co. Makurdi between 1992 and 1993. Having paid his dues in the two leading law firms above in pupilage, he co-founded the law firm of Messers Agamah, Okutepa & Co., Makurdi in 1993 as the Principal Partner/ Managing solicitor.

The firm was later rebranded and registered as J. S Okutepa and Company on January, 15, 2005.

He took up part-time lecturing at different times between 1994 and 1996. First, he was a lecturer in Commercial Law, University of

•Okutepa

Jos; Centre for Continuing Education, Makurdi Study Centre; and later, University of Lagos Computer Centre, Makurdi.

As a professional Bar man, he has at various times held the following positions at the local Bar and National levels: Financial secretary, NBA, Makurdi Branch (93-98); publicity secretary, NBA Makurdi Branch (20002002); Secretary, NBA Makurdi Branch (20062008), and Member NBA NEC (2004 – date).

He was also Member, NBA Continuing Legal Education Committee (2004-2006); member, NBA section on Legal practice; Council member, NBA SPIDEL; member, Electoral Laws Reform Panel of the NBA; Appointed Notary Public of Nigeria (2001); Legal Adviser, Students Union Government, University of Agriculture, Makurdi; Member, International Bar Association (IBA).

Okutepa’s resilience, tenacity, hard work and dedication to legal practice paid off with his elevation to the rank of SAN.

‘Reward for hardwork’

T

•Amaechi

and keep the faith as far as our professional ethics are concerned.

“They should also ensure they take seriously the need for continuing legal education, which more than any other time has become a sine qua non for real success in our modern day ever evolving field of practice.”

•Akinlawon

ITILOLA Akinlawon applied five times before she was conferred the rank.

Called to the Bar on July 11, 1981, she said of the award: “I feel fulfilled because I consider it as a reward for my hardwork and dedication to legal practice.”

What contributions does she intend to make to the profession with the attainment of the status? “I will continue to mentor young lawyers,” she said.

For those aspiring to the rank, she said: “I urge them to continue to work hard and be dedicated to legal practice. Perseverance is key to attaining the honour.”

37

TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

ENERGY THE NATION

E-mail:- energy@thenationonlineng.net

Govt rakes in $3.42m from PHCN investors

T

HE Federal Government has earned $3.42 million from 105 investors who are bidding to acquire assets of the successor companies of the Power Holding Companies of Nigeria (PHCN) that have made 171 payments of $20,000 each reflecting a total of $3,420,000.

The Minister of Power, Prof.

Barth Nnaji, who spoke through his Special Adviser, Media, Mr C. Don Adinuba, at the annual conference of the National Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC) held in Lagos, said the funds were earned from payments made from bidders’ expression of interests (EoIs).

He said: “The National Council on Privatisation (NCP) has approved and shortlisted potential bidders after receiving the 331 Expression of Interests (EoIs). One hundred and five bidders have made 171 payments of $20,000 each. Forty firms have been shortlisted to bid for the concessioning of the hydro stations, 87 shortlisted for the thermal stations and 80 for the electricity distribution companies, bringing the total number to 207.

“It is interesting that, in spite of the global economic crisis and the reported decline in foreign direct investment (FDI), there has been a remarkable growth in international investor confidence in Nigeria’s power sector in the last one year. A Brazilian company, for instance, has offered to buy the Federal Government’s stake in the 17 PHCN successor companies for $100 billion.”

The minister highlighted some of the things government is doing to ensure that there is stable

INSIDE • How Nigeria lost $300b to capital flight, by minister •••Page 38

• ‘Firms should be aware of their responsibilities’ •••Page 39

• Egbin needs N1.5b to fire turbines •••Page 40

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

supply of power and efficient manpower to man the operations.

He said: “With the inauguration of the Electricity Bulk Trading Company board on August 22, 2011, the investor confidence has been bolstered further. The bulk trader, which enjoys the World Bank Partial Risk Guarantee (PRG,) exists to give comfort and confidence to generation companies.

That is, it guarantees power generating companies payment for their products, and will cease to exist when the distribution companies are mature enough by being creditworthy.

“The government is not resting on its laurels, or waiting for the private sector to do everything in the power sector. Though President Jonathan has been in office for just a year, his administration has added over 1000MW to the national grid, through plant recovery. We are confident of generating 5,000MW by December, this year, and grow the quantum to 6,000MW next year. We shall raise it to 10,000MW by 2013, to 13,000MW by 2014 and to 15,000MW by 2015.

“The president has already approved the building of the super grid transmission infrastructure, which will make Nigeria one of the few countries in the world to have this state-of-the-art facility.

The super grid has the capacity to transmit through 726KV lines.

That is, more than a double of the present 320KV lines. We are already clearing a lot of faults in the transmission network across the nation, upgrading and modernising many aspects. This is why the transmission infrastructure now wheels over 4000MW comfortably. There used to be an average of four system failures a month, but this year we have recorded eight thus far, including the current collapse which occurred three days and was caused not by the PHCN system, but by a gas problem at Egbin, the country’s largest power station.

The distribution network is also being rehabilitated. There are credible reports of improved power supply in many parts of the country, despite the fact that the 760MW Kanji Hydro station which ordinarily produces 400MW is now generating a mere 50MW in this rainy season.

On staff training, he said: “I have directed all CEOs to submit to me within one month, their staff training and development programmes for 2012. In compliance with another directive, the Director-General of the Na-

tional Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) has submitted a five-year business development plan for the institute.

We want NAPTIN to excel like the National Power Training

Source: Rigzone.com

deepen electricity supply. The Service Level Agreements (SLAs) signed with chief executives of successor companies will determine their stay in office, not politics or lobbying.”

• From left: Director, Jiangsu Yulong Steel Pipe Company of China, Mr Liu Yan; Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board, Mr Ernest Nwapa; Chief Technical Officer, Yulong Steel, Mr Yao Guarijli and Chief Marketing Officer, Mr Abass Mohammed, during Yulong’s visit to Nigeria.

BPE wants PIB reviewed

T

HE Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has urged both chambers of the National Assembly to take a hard look at the inconsistencies and flaws in certain provisions of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

This is to align the provisions with the vision in the approved national oil and gas policy before the bill is finally passed into law.

Some of the areas of concern include the funding mechanism for the institutions to be created out of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Joint Ventures (JVs) and the incorporation of the national oil company.

Director-General of BPE, Ms Bolanle Onagoruwa, said the review has become imperative if the country will have a functional reform in the oil and gas sector along the line of the approved national policy.

Onagoruwa, who delivered a paper entitled,The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and the reforms in the oil and gas sector through her Deputy Director, Yunana Jackdell Malo, at the annual conference of the National Association of Energy Correspondents

OIL PRICES AUG 19 -AUG 26

Light Crude

Institute of India (NPTI), which has trained some 1, 000, 750 power professionals from around the world, including Nigeria and Malaysia.

“We shall sustain and, in fact,

Brent Crude

By Bidemi Bakare

(NAEC) in Lagos, recalled that the PIB drafted by the Oil and Gas Implementation Committee (OGIC) was supposed to be derived from the outlined principles contained in the approved National Oil and Gas Policy.

She wondered why some provisions of the bill are not in tandem with the policy.

On funding mechanism for institutions including the National Oil Company (NOC),the National Petroleum Directorate (NPD),the Nigerian Petroleum Inspectorate Commission (NPI),the National Petroleum Research Centre (NPRC) and the National Petroleum Assets Management Agency (NPAMA), Onagoruwa stated that these institutions were supposed to have a source of funding that gives them to some level of independence and control to enable them compete effectively with other operators or function properly as they are expected to.

She noted that the provisions in the PIB, show that most of the institutions are to depend on government budget for survival. She said this would kill the initiative and objectives expected from the new institutions in the sector.

According to her, the mechanism for achieving this is through several charges including 12 cents per barrel as well as the one per cent charge on fiscalised crude that would have been made available to the institutions.

She noted that the implication of this is that the lean purse of the Federal Government would now have to be shared by the oil sector and other competing sectors of the economy and by so doing the status quo is maintained and entrenched.

Concerning the Joint Ventures (JVs), the BPE chief said by the provisions of Part 111, section 193, the PIB jettisoned the idea of the Incor-

poration of Joint Ventures (IJVs) as a key feature of the reform by envisaging that joint venture operations would be controlled by the NOC, which would be required to, from time to time, ask for budgetary funding in addition to other sources of funding. She said this is against what is stipulated by the policy that the current Joint Operating Agreements (JOAs) be replaced by joint operatorship, which shall be led by the majority shareholder.

On the incorporation of NOC as a private limited liability company under the Companies and Allied matters Act (CAMA), she said the fact that the NOC is defined as a group in section 121 with a Group Managing Director and Board Chairman to be appointed by the President shows that the only difference between NOC and NNPC is in mere appellation.

She said this is contrary to the spirit of OGIC and radically opposed to the forward looking policy of government, which saw the unbundling of the NNPC as the panacea to its sub-optimal performance. She added that section 118(4) of the bill also provides that any pending legal action or proceedings brought by or against the corporation before its assets are transferred may be enforced or continued by or against the NOC in the same way as if the Petroleum Industry Act were not in place.

In view of the developments, she said it is indicative that the PIB has missed essential points of the reforms in the oil and gas industry, adding that passing the bill the way it is would be counterproductive.

She therefore, called on stakeholders to collaborate so that all grey areas of the bill can be addressed for Nigeria and Nigerians to fully enjoy the reforms they earnestly yearn for in the oil and gas industry.

38

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

ENERGY

How Nigeria lost $300b to capital flight, by minister

By Bidemi Bakare

• Alison-Madueke

T

HE Minister of Petroleum Re sources, Mrs. Diezani AlisonMadueke, has disclosed how some major oil operators have been responsible for the loss of about $300 billion (N45 trillion) by Nigeria to foreign economies through the importation of goods and services meant for operations in the country’s oil and gas industry.

The Minister said after many decades of doing business worth several hundreds of dollars in Nigeria, most operators are yet to make appreciable footprints in Nigeria.

Speaking at the annual conference of the National Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC) held in Lagos, Alison-Madueke

who was represented by the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Ernest Nwapa, said rather than avail themselves of goods and services available in the country, prefer to patronise foreign countries for the procurement of equipment, spare parts and technology in support of their operations in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.

She stated that the operators prefer to rely on the importation of goods and services from abroad without making provisions to develop sustainable capabilities within the country that would support life cycle operations in Nigeria.

She added that before now, emphasis was only placed on speedy achievement of first oil, generation of revenue without paying attention to actions that would add value to the economy.

For an industry that spends an average of $20 billion annually, she said it is unacceptable to have just less than $2 billion being retained so far in the economy.

She said of more significance is the fact that this persistent practice has resulted in the export of millions of employment opportunities, the loss of opportunities for training, knowledge and technology transfer and the prevention of opportunities for investment in facilities and infrastructure to sup-

port industry operations.

She noted that this singular action has denied Nigerians the opportunity to participate in the most critical aspect of their national development adding that the challenge is for the government to create an enabling environment that would allow capital to flow inwards and get retained for economic growth and development.

She reassured Nigerians and the international partners that the various steps being taken by her ministry are meant to create the required environment to support the government’s transformation aspirations.

She stated that one of the key

steps taken in recent times in ensuring that oil and gas activities result in value retention in Nigeria is the signing of the Nigerian Content Act which came into effect in April 2020.

The main thrust of the Act, according to her, include the introduction of a structured organisation and implementation framework involving the creation of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), development and utilisation of local capacity by promoting education and training, employment, asset domiciliation, indigenous ownership of equipment and establishment of a fund for capacity building.

Others include the provision of guarantees for indigenous participation and integration of oil producing communities into mainstream industry activity and setting of targets for specific work items to be executed in Nigeria, with the monitoring framework and defined penalties for non-compliance.

She said these major initiatives by the government are to fall within the principles and concepts enshrined in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which is before the National Assembly waiting passage.

She said that the industry and the National Assembly are working hardd to see the PIB through.

‘Banking industry positioned for oil, gas, power investments’

W

ITH the current ongoing reforms in the banking industry, better days lie ahead for the oil, gas and power industries said the Director, Development Finance of the Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Paul Eluhaiwe.

The Assistant Director, Product Office, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor, who represented the Director, spoke at the annual conference of the National Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC) on The role of the banking system in enhancing local content in the oil and gas industry.

He lamented that prior to this time, Nigerian banks were only seen playing the roles of mere observers in the oil and gas industry. He attributed this development to low capitalisation of the banks as compared to the enormous capital requirements of oil and gas projects.

He said during this period, only foreign oil firms and banks dominated the execution and financing of the industry’s projects.

That situation, he said, has changed with the increased capitalisation of many local banks which are now rising up to the challenge of participating in the underwriting and financing of big oil and gas projects.

One typical example of such, he said, was the putting together of a $265 million supplementary refinancing deal for ExxonMobil and NNPC by a consortium of eight Nigerian banks.

He said it was this singular effort that made it possible for the country to witness the production of the first ever set of made in Nigeria steel pipes for the oil and gas industry.

He disclosed that the renewed

By Bidemi Bakare

interest in the oil and gas industry by the banking industry was borne out of the desire to use monetary policy to fast-track job creation and economic growth.

He said the CBN has been using this monetary policy to impact the industry in two ways.

The first is the maintenance of stable macroeconomic environment that is conducive for planning so that stable local prices and exchange rates can be maintained.

The second is the nurturing of strong and reliable banks to effectively play intermediation roles and partner with oil and gas investors in project finance.

He disclosed that there is also the Power Intervention fund (PIF), which is instituted by the CBN to fast-track the development of power projects, especially in the identified industrial clusters in the country so as to improve power supply, generate employment and enhance the living standard of the citizens.

On the operation of the fund, he said the facility shall not be more than 70 per cent of the total cost of the project, adding that the loans are to have a tenor of 10-15 years while a working capital shall be of a one year duration with the provision for roll over for not more than five years.

He said the fund allows for moratorium in loan repayment schedule where banks shall charge seven percent per annum on the PIF facility out of which one percent would be remitted to the Bank of Industry (BOI).

• Oil rig

Association backs govt’s gas industrialisation agenda

T

HE Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) has pledged its support to achieve the Federal Government’s Gas Industrialisation programme aimed at optimising utilisation of gas resource through industrial development and other domestic uses.

The President of the association, Mr. Chima Ibeneche, said this during the group’s annual general meeting and business forum held in Lagos.

Ibeneche said globally, gas has continued to excite the industry and remains the fuel of choice to drive social, technological and economic development round the world. The NGA, through its chartered membership of the International Gas Union (IGU), continues to be an active member providing useful contributions in global policy formulation helping to

OPEC exports to rise by 30,000 bpd, says report

S

EABORNE oil exports from members of the Oil Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), excluding Angola and Ecuador, would rise by 30,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the four weeks to September 10, an analyst who estimates future shipments said.

Reuters quoting the UK consultancy

Oil Movements latest weekly estimate report, said exports would rise to 22.69 million bpd on average from 22.66 million bpd in the four weeks to August 13.

OPEC failed to agree on an output increase in June. But top exporter Saudi Arabia said it would provide whatever oil was needed and has boosted its

production.

OPEC’s output remains below that of a year ago because of the loss of Libyan supplies due to the uprising against the rule of Muammar Gaddafi.

Exports in the four weeks to September 10 are expected to be down 520,000 bpd from the same period in 2010, Oil Movements said.

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

shape the global gas agenda implemented by member countries to the IGU. The association also recorded substantial growth income as well as net assets at the end of 2010 financial year.

On the association’s performance and outlook, Ibeneche said: “Since the election of the new Council, to ensure we as an association continue to play our lead role and remain a strong contributor to policy formulation for the industry, the Council developed a two-year road map.

“The road map was communicated to the industry and it articulated the various programmes and activities to be pursued by the NGA over the next two years to promote the use of natural gas for the economic benefit of the country, improve the sharing of best practices across the value chain, promoting safety and effective risk management and strong focus on industry capacity aimed at both young and experienced professionals in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria so that the industry agenda can be truly sustainable.

“Financially, we continue to grow due to growth in membership and NGA activities. Our net asset has grown by 12 per cent as at December 2009 to N37.215 million as at De-

cember 2010. Our income also grew by 48 per cent as at December 2009 to N46.733 million as at December 31, 2010. This was largely due to sponsorship for the conference and annual subscription. So we have a relatively good financial performance.

However, for this to be sustainable, members are urged to continue to regularly pay their dues and to support the activities of the association so we continue to build our financial strength, which is required to drive the activities of the association. The learning launch will also be a good revenue stream for the association in the near future.

“I can proudly state at this point, that we have, indeed, raised the gas game which is now a firm focus of the government through the Gas Revolution, a laudable agenda of the Federal Government which has the full support of the NGA. Indeed, the Gas revolution is the theme of the AGM and business forum for this year.”

The NGA chief said the two-year road map gives the NGA focus and ensures it remains committed to our objectives and goals. We remain committed to partnering with key stakeholders by providing useful input into policy formulation and standard setting and implementation for the sustainable growth of the gas industry, he added.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

39

ENERGY

‘Firms should be aware of their responsibilities’ The Director-General, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Sir Peter Idabor, has spent all his life dealing with environmental issues. In this interview with YOMI ODUNUGA and DELE ANOFI at his office in Abuja, he spoke about the challenges the agency has been facing in the battle to curb oil spillage. Excerpts:

H

OW far has NOSDRA gone in tackling the problem of pol lution and environmental degradation in terms of oil spill across the Niger Delta?

NOSDRA was born in 2006 from an Act of the National Assembly and I am the second Director-General since its establishment. My predecessor Mr Ajakaye, I think, started very well but it must be said the problem of oil spill in the Niger Delta is really a very big one. My predecessor has taken a lot of time to incident all those spills, taking clear record of the quantities of oil that has spilled into the environment and marching it against the quantity recovered. Doing a minus there, we discovered that a lot of oil have actually gone into the environment either resulting from equipment failure on the part of the oil companies and on the part of some of our youths who get involved in some dastardly acts causing damage to the pipeline to steal crude oil. So, looking at the geography of the Niger Delta, the oil spill is almost everywhere including the famous Ogoni land issue. We are trying as much as possible to see how we can do preemptive actions by creating a lot of awareness. We hope very soon to get into the air and see how we can create awareness and plead with our people as well as the oil companies to help prevent further spillage. We are looking at prevention from that standpoint. For the ones that have already been spilled, we will consult with the stakeholders mainly the operators of the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to see how we can start cleaning the environment.

It is good that the Ogoni report by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) has come out and we are going to use the Ogoni land as template to see how we can reach out to the other parts of the Niger Delta.

On the UNEP report, some persons have wondered why the country should wait for an international agency to tell us about how bad things have gone in Ogoni land before doing something. Is it not an indication of failure of national institutions set up to handle such matters?

I will say yes and no. But you should understand that this job was done in about 24 months and the reason we brought in a body – the United Nation Environmental Programme (UNEP), with such capability, is for credibility. Sometimes if you allow the oil companies to get involved in it, issues of interference with the integrity of data, and handling of data might come into play. But the United Nations with their infrastructure and enormous references they have made, most of the samples they collated were cross reference from Harvard University, Imperial and other universities of international repute to cross-check the old sampling process. That is the kind of standardisation. I think they did to remove the issue of bias since our people are very suspicious of the oil companies and the Nigerian factor too. I think that’s mainly the reason the Federal Government asked the United Nations to come in as purely neutral identity with integrity to do that kind of data study. It is not that we do not have the capability to that.

Would you say that NOSDRA has been able to stamp its authority in discharging its responsibility?

Our responsibility is clearly spelt out in the act establishing NOSDRA. It to oversee the management of oil spills in the country. This agency is just about six years old. We are actively looking at the institutional framework. We are looking at the Act because currently, what we have is just the series of penalties that bothers on civil cases. If you are to

pay, you will pay N500,000. We cannot really stamp our authority without modifying the laws.

From what you have said, it appears NOSDRA does not really have the legal teeth to compel operators to abide by the principles of international practice?

That’s what I’m saying. What we have been doing is handling purely civil matters. If we have the right laws, we can take them to criminal court and charge them accordingly so that it will not be a civil case where you get your lawyers every time to ask for adjournment indefinitely.

We have some of our sister organisations in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), specifically the Products and Pipeline Marketing Company (PPMC). We are going to face them because they don’t obey the laws of the country. They spill everywhere; they have tank farms all over Warri.

Even the Ogoni report actually indicted them. One of the products found in the wells around Eleme and Ogoni is from the PPMC pipeline.

When we write to them, they will not reply. When we write to the Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC, they will not get back to us because they also think they are part of government. That is why, right now, what we are doing is to see how we can get the legislation approved to give us more teeth in the Act that set us up. If you look at agencies like ours in advanced countries such as the United States of America, everybody is afraid of them. Not that they are going out to punish anybody but all the laws must be obeyed otherwise you will be run out of business.

In the UNEP report, it was stated that you lack the capacity to do evaluation and monitoring duties and that you were left at the mercy of the oil companies to do all these things which in a way compromised your staff. Is that the case?

Like I earlier pointed out, we are still like a five-year-old baby. What do you expect? It’s not as if I’m admitting that we don’t have capacity, actually the truth is that there is very poor attention given to what we are doing. Funding is very low and NOSDRA is trying to serve as an agency under the Federal Ministry of Environment. At the end of the year, what you get is just capital project that is not enough for your salary. Yes, we know that we have access to the ecological fund but it’s not been easy. For instance, for you to effectively monitor activities carried out in the whole oil industries, you need modern equipment. There should also be a befitting infrastructure in terms of equipment and logistics. I can tell you that when some of our staff go to the field to monitor these people, they face logistics problem. They would have to rent maybe the operators bus or boats.

Nigerians like talking about some of these things but we still have to do our work and when we are going on joint inspection, we don’t have to carry three boats because we are inspectors. If we do that, it means the Department of Petroleum Resources will take their own boat; the oil company will also take their own boat and we will take ours. In fact, we don’t even have the boat so we join them and anybody of integrity would go there and write what he sees. That’s the point. When I was in OMPADEC and the NDDC, we used to go out for such inspections and, when we get to the field, the oil company will say ‘no…no…this is sabotage.’ We will look at the particular point of spill and if we do not see anything to show us it was sabotage, we go and write our reports. We even recommend payment of compensation to the affected people. I had the privilege of working with Mr. President, OMPADEC and those

were the things we were doing. We go to the fields and look at what has happened. Even though we are trustees of those communities, we don’t take sides because we know that the oil companies are also generating revenues for the country so we try to maintain a middle course. When we think there is an equipment failure or collusion, we tell the oil companies to please pay.

Would you say the oil companies, especially the majors, have been cooperating with NOSDRA? When a clever person sees two groups, each of them claiming that it is their authority to do the same function, he capitalises on it. When the DPR people come, the oil company will say its NOSDRA and vice versa. So that’s a very serious problem—the duplication of functions in this country. The earlier we streamline these issues the better. When former President Obasanjo created NOSDRA, he asked all Ministry of Environment staff in DPR to move over to NOSDRA. Some of them did not move, they decided to remain there. They are still there and we know them. So they allocate themselves to do environmental issues.

It’s very clear if you crosscheck the Acts to see who is responsible for spill management in the country, it’s not DPR. Since this Ogoni issue, have you heard DPR name mentioned?

But they always go to blackmail these oil companies and say they are the one in charge. This makes the oil companies capitalise on the apparent overlap of functions.

What is the way out?

The way out is to go back to the drawing board and streamline the functions. The same way we are also saying that environmental functions should be clearly stated in the Petroleum Industry Bill just like we have in the United States; it should be under the ambit of the Federal Ministry of Environment. The DPR is the Department of Petroleum Resources not environment resources.

Therefore, if such functions are clearly defined then the oil companies will know which agency is controlling environmental issues.

You seem to be so passionate about the issue of the environment. What informs this?

I have my first degree in Zoology.

When I got into the university, my study actually exposed me to the environment. I schooled in the University of Jos and most of our field works were done in Yankari. In fact, I had the option of studying medicine but I refused just because of that kind of exposure. When I left Jos, I went to Port Harcourt to serve and also found myself after studying the ecology and environment of the North. I also found myself looking at the mangrove in the Delta and I was inspired to do my Masters in Hydrobiology and Fisheries. Also, I taught for about 12 years in the River State College of Education and we initiated long field courses that took us from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, Kainji National Park. I had the privilege to travel to all parts of this country and I speak Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. It is part of the environment.

On remediation and compensation, which agency is saddled with the responsibility of determining what goes to a community?

This is another thorny issue. In fact, what is the baseline, what kind of compensation is being paid? Some-

• Idabor

times you see a whole plantain stem which is sold for two naira and yam for N10. They are terrible, far from reality. I also know that sometimes when there is pollution in your waters, organisms like fish will not die, they will swim away. They will move away from that river. The fisherman goes there the next day to catch fish but would not see any to catch. How do you measure that in terms of compensation? The animal, through its behaviour, moves away from that pollution area and therefore the fish is no longer available.

The toxic effects of the spill itself will kill the eggs and the small fishes so there is no recruitment for the young fish that will become adults. I think that has been a very serious and thorny issue, so NOSDRA has taken up the initiative and we have a committee made up of representatives from the nine oil producing states charged to review compensation charges currently being made. We want to add inputs from Shell and some other IOCs making suggestion of what they think should be the yardstick. I think very shortly we would come up with what we think should be the new rate. In the agency here we do three things - oil spill management, we look at damage assessment and compensation and we also do remediation. If you are a consultant for instance, you will tell us where you want to work. If you are a surveyor you will be able to delineate areas that need to be surveyed for compensation and assessment process. But if you want to do oil spill cleanups, you will register for that and we will give you clearance and certificate to do that consultancy.

If you want to go and restore a polluted area or remediation we will also certify you. So, these are the key categories. We hope that very soon we will come up with a new compensation regime which, hopefully, will be approved.

Do you have any word for the oil producing firms and the communities?

To the communities, I know they have suffered for quite some time, I know they have paid the price for oil prospecting in the country; I know they have been the subject of neglect. I also know that there have been social dislocations in the com-

munities. I have stayed in the Niger Delta for 31 years since I graduated.

I know that when you have facilities in a small village as against the background of the village people, I’ve seen women tell their daughters “wetin you dey do here, you no see your mates?” What do their mates do? They go out in the night to these oil men. Many of them become pregnant, many developed HIV. That’s what we call social dislocation. And so, my advice for these communities is: I think Nigeria is changing and very soon, they may have succour. All these boys who are dirty and so rough are the products of neglect. When I came into River State as a youth corps member in 1981, Bayelsa State and River State were the friendliest people. I may have to tell you that, if you go to any place you see a fisherman, you can ask for fish. It was like that until we were kidnapped and subjected to hardship. I had the priviledge of working with Mr. President. I was with him for nearly 22 years. We talk together, we were captured together and we drank mud water together.

These are communities that used to be very friendly. So you can see how the anger rose. The Amnesty programme of the Federal Government has been very okay and it touches the lives of the people. The oil companies should be aware of their corporate social responsibility.

They should not come to a place that is so backward and put up very big installation. And while everything is booming even in the night, they cannot extend it to some of the communities. Even scholarships should start from primary schools. I don’t believe as a biologist that one man is intelligent than the other, it’s the environment in which you grow.

When Mr. President was Governor in Bayelsa State, he did it. He took boys and girls and sent them to Lagos, Abuja and other schools elsewhere. That programme still exists but the oil companies talk about scholarships but select the best and at the end of the day, it’s still the rich men who send their children to benefit from it. They should select people of five years old and start training them, that will bring a lot of difference and the society will be better for everybody.

‘When we write to the Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC, they will not get back to us because they also think they are part of government. That is why, right now, what we are doing is to see how we can get the legislation approved to give us more teeth in the Act that set us up’

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

40

ENERGY

Egbin needs N1.5b to fire turbines

T

HE management of Egbin Power Generation Com pany is seeking between N1.4 billion and N1.5 billion from the Federal Government to enable it to operate all the turbines by repairing the dysfunctional Steam Turbine (ST-06), which has been out of operation for some time.

The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mike Uzoigwe, made the request when the Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, and members of his entourage, paid a working visit to the company.

Uzoigwe said the management has the zeal to bring the turbine on stream and head towards generating close to the full installed capacity of the plant, 1320MW. “We are passionate about completing the repairs of ST-06, we no more wish to cannibalise it to repair other units. Please provide us the N1.4 to N1.5 billion we need to complete the project,” Uzoigwe pleaded with President Goodluck Jonathan through Nnaji.

Uzoigwe said: “As you noticed from the presentation, we have run this plant for 27 years. At present, we have five of the six units still belting power, at almost full capacity and more than 80 per cent availability. This was not achieved by wishful thinking nor by folding our hands and watch. From cleaners to our top engineers everybody has contributed to where we are and I think we have done Nigerians good.

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

“We would, simply speaking, wish to be encouraged by you to continue doing what we have been doing, by lending us all the support we need. Funding to this plant from the Federal Government increased in the last six years due to “intervention” fund, Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) and reasonable level of appropriation from Federal Government funding.

“We were able to raise our availability from only about three units to our present availability of five units. In the last two years, however, this level of funding has dwindled making it difficult to sustain what we have achieved. We are on a downward trend and do not want to go down. We understand our plant will be privatised and we accept and are ready since we know some of us will remain here.

“Also, the government and the people of Nigeria will continue to have equity in the plant and we, therefore, wish to plead that a lot more money be sent to make us achieve our goal of power generation sustenance without suffering.

There is no need to let the plant go down before we reach the Promised Land.

“If you watched while you toured the plant, you will notice more than 10 very serious projects and repairs being attended to by contractors and our engineers. We

• From left: Abdullahi Isyaku Dandume, Executive Director Operations, National Engineering & Technical Company, Sola Ogunsaki; General Manager, Nigerian Content, ExxonMobil, Azu Emuchay, Manager, Finance & Accounts, Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr Azu Emuchay and Ernest Nwapa, Executive Secretary, at the presentation of Nigerian Content Support Fund to oil and gas service companies in Port Harcourt.

wish to be encouraged to go on with the same zeal. You may have seen lots of packages and containers of spares and parts we have managed to procure. Some of them are waiting complete funding.

Honourable minister sir, we are serious minded here and we are simply asking you to provide us the tools. Some of us who started working here immediately after NYSC and others witnessed this station pulling full capacity at 1320MW. We will wish to retire and leave the plant at full capacity. We are passionate about completing the repairs of ST-06. We no more wish to cannibalise it to repair other units. Please provide us the N1.4 to N1.5 billion we need

Siemens, Mobil, others for NIPEXPO

A

S the third Nigeria Interna tional Power Expo and Conference (NIPEXPO) draws closer, over 30 companies from Nigeria and overseas are set to showcase their products and services at the expo, which holds between September 12 and 15 at the NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja.

The Chairman, Organising Committee, NIPEXPO, Mr Ifeanyichukwu Agwu, disclosed this at a briefing in Lagos at the weekend.

He said the companies that have indicated interest to attend include Mobil Oil, Chongqing Senci Import & Export Trade Company Limited, Siemens, Zhejiang Yinhe Cable Company Limited, News Engineering Limited, Dongfang Electronics Company Limited and Genesis Power Limited Others are Andeli Group, Zhejiang Yiyuan Electric Company Limited, NR Electric, Zhejiang Tongbo Electrical Company Limited, Hexing Electrical Company Limited, Juche Group,

Laurence Group, Huayi Electric Company Limited and Apparatus Company Limited.

Agwu said these companies deal on products and services that cut across power plant and generation; clean energy; lighting; electrical equipment; and transmission and distribution and stressed that the core target of the expo is to complement and enhance the on-going efforts at revamping and developing the country’s power sector to fast-track Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

He said: “A good number of these companies have been participating in the event since its inception; showing that the expo and conference’s consistency in giving values to the participants.”

Agwu frowned at the categorisation of Nigeria as the largest market for generating sets in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Our target is to attract experts and operators in the power and ancillary sectors worldwide to showcase latest power generation systems and management solutions to address the seem-

Domestic prices of petroleum products Companies

PMS

AGO

DPK

Conoil

65.00

160.00

140.00

AP

65.00

160.00

140.00

Total

65.00

160.00

140.00

Oando

65.00

160.00

140.00

Mobil

65.00

160.00

140.00

Texaco

65.00

160.00

140.00

Energy

65.00

160.00

140.00

Fagbems

65.00

160.00

140.00

Nipco

65.00

160.00

140.00

INDIGENOUS

ingly intractable power situation in the country.

“We do not intend to use this important national assignment to continue the trend of making Nigeria a perpetual market for generating sets.

Unfortunately, some of the stakeholders in the industry are averse to this change, but we remain undaunted in the pursuit of redressing the ugly tag of Nigeria as the largest and most viable market for generating sets in the world. This nation is highly blessed that we cannot afford to be a country run on generators”.

“Basically, our aim is to use this expo and conference to set a lasting stage for the revamping of the Nigerian power sector; provide an annual forum for operators and stakeholders to be constantly updated with the latest technological trends in the industry-thereby providing a veritable opportunity to review policies and programmes implementation strategies to keep the power sector on stream and avert neglect and deterioration of facilities, which led to the present crisis situation.

to complete the project.

“Somebody gave Mr. President our profile earlier in the year and he wrote me a personal letter requesting that we do our best to serve Nigeria with our job. In return please present our request to the President and tell him we will bring back extra 220MW with the repairs of ST-06. He will be here to inaugurate it by the special grace of God. We also need more

funding to change obsolete technology in our various plant systems and be able to easily source spares.

“As long you will lead the industry to a more profitable future, as long as we will be more efficient, as long as you will talk with us and back us with enough funding, so long shall we support your noble cause and be part of the new power industry.”

Oil price falls on doubts about US stimulus measures

O

IL price declined, narrowing the first weekly gain in five, on speculation that United States measures to revive growth will fall short of expectations and that potential fuel shortages caused

by Hurricane Irene might be limited.

According to Bloomberg, futures fell as much as 0.8 percent in New York before a speech by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and a U.S. government report that may show economic growth slowed in the second quarter. Gasoline extended gains at the weekend on concern Irene may sap fuel consumption.

“The market will be extremely disappointed at what happens at Jackson Hole,” said Michael Hewson, a London-based market analyst at CMC Markets, which handles about $240 million a day in U.S. crude contracts. “The markets have built themselves up that Bernanke will pull a rabbit out of a hat, but I don’t think he is going to.”

Crude for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell as much as 65 cents to $84.65 a barrel and was at $84.87 at 11:33 a.m.

London time. Yesterday, the contract added 14 cents to $85.30. Prices

Energy prices Energy & Oil Prices OIL ($/bbl) PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME Nymex Crude Future 82.26 -0.12 -0.15% 08/19 Dated Brent Spot 109.53 2.60 2.43% 08/19 WTI Cushing Spot 82.26 -0.12 -0.15% 08/19 OIL (¢/gal) PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME Nymex Heating Oil Future 290.45 2.97 1.03% 08/19 Nymex RBOB Gasoline Future 284.12 5.80 2.08% 08/19 NATURAL GAS ($/MMBtu) PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME Nymex Henry Hub Future 3.94 0.05 1.23% 08/19 Henry Hub Spot 3.99 0.01 0.25% 08/19 New York City Gate Spot 4.20 0.02 0.48% 08/19 ELECTRICITY ($/megawatt hour) PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME Mid-Columbia, firm on-peak, spot 33.92 -0.53 -1.54% 08/19 Palo Verde, firm on-peak, spot 39.79 -1.04 -2.55% 08/19 BLOOMBERG, FIRM ON-PEAK, DAY AHEAD SPOT/ERCOT HOUSTON 84.25 -27.75 -24.78% 08/19 Source: Bloomberg.com

are up 3.2 percent this week, heading for their first weekly gain since the five days ended July 22, and are up 16 percent in the past year.

Bernanke is scheduled to speak at an annual Kansas City Fed conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet will also make a presentation.

Brent Premium Brent oil for October settlement on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange was down 29 cents at $110.33, set for a 1.6 percent climb this week. The contract was at a premium of $25.48 to U.S. futures, compared with a record settlement of $26.21 on Aug. 19.

The European benchmark’s premium to New York’s West Texas Intermediate crude shrank the most in five weeks on Aug. 22 after rebels in Libya entered Tripoli, paving the way for the country’s oil production to resume. The spread has since widened as Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi eluded capture, stoking speculation a resumption in output may take longer than expected.

Libya, a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, holds Africa’s largest crude reserves.

Total to sell oil production, exploration in France

O

IL major Total is preparing to sell its production and exploration activities in France for an undisclosed amount, an industry trade publication reported without citing its sources.

Reuters said: “The disposals are being finalised,” said the report in Oil Industry Bulletin. “But the sale cannot be completed until before the end of 2012 to conform with France’s laws on transactions of mining assets.”

The deal would involve Total selling off oil fields in the Paris area and in the southwestern region of Acquitaine to several independent oil companies.

No financial details of the transactions were disclosed.

Total declined comment said Reuters.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

41

HEALTH THE NATION

E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

Vaccine for Pneumococcal Disease unveiled G

LAXOSMITHKLINE (GSK) has rolled out a pneumococcal vaccine called Synflorix to help put an end to Pneumococcal disease (PD), in children less than five years and adults, above 65 years.

This is against the backdrop of the realisation that PD is preventable and prevention saves lives, saves children, senior citizens, their families and communities’ unnecessary suffering and reduces health care expense.

The vaccine had undergone clinical trial on 10 infants at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). The trial team was headed by the Acting Dean, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Lagos State University (LASUCOM), Prof Muyiwa Odusanya.

Statistics by indigenous and international experts in child care and development showed that one out of every five Nigerian children dies before his 50th birthday as a result of childhood diseases with pneumonia identified as the leading cause of the deaths.

The Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) has been advocating for the availability and inclusion of pneumococcal vaccine in the nation’s national programme on immunisation.

In 2009, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF launched the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia (GAPP).

GAPP is to accelerate pneumonia control in children with a combination of interventions to protect children from pneumonia by promoting breastfeeding and hand washing, and reducing indoor air pollution; prevent pneumonia with vaccinations; treat pneumonia, ensure that every sick child has access to the right kind of care and can get the antibiotics and oxygen they need to get well.

Prof Odusanya summed up the result of the trial thus: “Synflorix developed by GSK is 10-valent pneumococcal non-typeable H. influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV), containing capsular polysaccharides derived from pneumococcal serotypes 1, 4, 5, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F and 23F.” The President of PAN, Dr Dor-

F

ORTY million Nigerians are said to be affected by infertility, a disorder of the reproductive system hindering conception.

Consequently, the wife of the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) and National President of Naval Officers’ Wives Association (NOWA), Hajia Aminat Ibrahim, has urged Nigerians to embrace In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) as a more effective method of assisted reproductive technology.

Hajia Ibrahim, who spoke at the inauguration of IVF and Medical Centre at the Nigerian Navy Post Service Housing Estate in Abuja,

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

othy Esangbedo, said the developed vaccine is a big relief to paediatricians and other experts taking care of children, as “Challenges of appropriate treatment for pneumococcal disease are factual. It can be difficult for healthcare providers to distinguish between infections caused by bacteria, compared to other organisms e.g. viruses or parasites. In Africa, and other countries, pneumonia is sometimes misdiagnosed as malaria. In such cases, children may never receive potentially life-saving antibiotics. Their treatment may be delayed until the disease becomes more severe.

But once it is confirmed as pneumococcal disease, then the vaccine can be applied.”

Esangbedo identified causes of pneumococcal disease in children as over-crowding in homes; exposure to tobacco smoke and smoke from indoor wood fire cooking and exposure to pollution are other factors that make children prone to pneumococcal disease.

Other factors are parents and caregivers, who may not recognise symptoms in a child and/or know to take the child to a health-care provider. “They may face barriers to accessing appropriate care. Cost of treatment, distance to health care centre, families may mistrust the health system. They may seek advice from unqualified individuals. Health care providers may misdiagnose a child with pneumococcal disease. They may, therefore, fail to administer appropriate treatment,” she added.

The PAN chief said though prevention is critical, effective treatment and the vaccine is timely.

“Preventing pneumococcal disease is critical in improving child survival and health. However, appropriate treatment also saves

•From left: Medical Director, GSK, Dr Kunle Oladehin; Senior Manager, Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Lagos State University (LASU), Dr James Phillip Cruz, and Managing Director, GSK, Mr Lekan Asuni

•Dr Esangbedo (left) and Head, Vaccines, GSK, Mr Victor Erukunuakpor

lives and minimises sufferings.

Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment. There is the need for supportive management, which makes hospita-lisation necessary in severe PD. “Treatment and antibiotic resistance is a growing problem. Prevention is critical, so is effective treatment. Factors affecting choice of antibiotics are real. They include clinical syndrome (Pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis, otitis

and the Media); severity of disease; age of child; local patterns of antimicrobial resistance; presence of high-risk groups; undernourished children and HIVpositive children.”

Consequences of delay in treatment are enough reasons parents and caregivers are enjoined to seek prompt treatment in cases of PD. “Further treatment may be inadequate to prevent devastating consequences of disease e.g. deafness

‘Preventing pneumococcal disease is critical in improving child survival and health. However, appropriate treatment also saves lives and minimises sufferings.

Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment. There is the need for supportive management, which makes hospita-lisation necessary in severe PD. “Treatment and antibiotic resistance is a growing problem. Prevention is critical, so is effective treatment. Factors affecting choice of antibiotics are real’

40m Nigerians suffer from infertility From: Dele Anofi, Abuja

said couples who are still looking up to God for children should not shy away from seeking the technology that has been proven to be effective.

“IVF is a process by which egg cells are fertilised by sperm outside of the body. It is a major treatment in fertility when other methods of assisted reproductive technology have failed.

She also noted that with the availability of the IVF services, the country would have saved enormous foreign exchange and prevent capital flight from the economy as many of those that can afford it would want to seek such services abroad.

While commenting, the Proprietor of the hospital, Dr. Prosper Igboeli, for the bold initiative, Ibrahim urged infertile couples to take advantage of the technology.

In his remarks, Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alhaji Bala Mohammed, expressed concern over infertility rate in the country, saying it is growing to a ‘worrisome level’ with 25 per cent of Nigerians population confirmed as affected.

He said: “In economically depressed world of today, where many people are grappling with stress of living, the consequences of infertility on the society can

PHOTOS: BADE DARAMOLA

from pneumococcal meningitis.

Time is of the essence. Delays in treatment may increase the chance of disability and death,” she said.

Community-based treatment is identified as a step in managing PD. The model of communitybased management involves a Community health care worker (CHW), who is required to check respiratory signs in sick children, provide antibiotic for pneumonia if appropriate and makes a verbal referral to nearest healthcare facility for signs of severe pneumonia.

If treatment is delayed, the cost of treatment on families and communities could be enormous.

Esangbedo recognised heavy emotional toll on parties concerned.

best be imagined”.

Though he revealed that the FCT administration was working towards mitigating the effect of infertility through preventive measure, Mohammed urged the new hospital and others to work to mitigate the effect of infertility and also urged them to join in the prevention of infertility and other reproductive complications as part of its community service”.

Dr Igboeli said the motivation behind the setting up of the hospital was to serve humanity, noting that every couple deserves to have children.

42

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

HEALTH

Health Tourism With Dr Dheeraj Bojwani e-mail: indiasodel@gmail.com

Gamma Knife Surgery for brain tumor in India

G •Winner of the star prize, five-month-old Zion Owoeye, during the Breast Feeding Week organised by the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Lagos chapter, with the Chairperson, Mrs Dupe Olaoye-Oshinkolu (right), the mother, Mrs Veronica Owoeye (left) and Director of Child Development, Lagos State Ministry of Women and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs Alaba Fadairo,who represented the Lagos State Deputy Governor Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, at the event.

Fed Govt urged to make NHIS functional

A

MEDICAL expert, Prof Sam Ohaegbulam, has called on the Federal Government to make the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) functional so that all hydrocephalus and other patients in the country could access medicare easily.

Hydrocephalus is accummulation of fluid in the head.

Speaking at a book launch at the College of Medicine University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Prof Ohaegbulam, explained that when all the sick could access medicare, death rate of Nigerians, would drop.

He said the National Health Insurance Scheme only exists on paper.

Ohaegbulam, who is the Medical Director of the Memfys International Hospital for Neurosurgery Enugu, raised the alarm on the high rate of hydrocephalus patients in the country.

From Chris Oji, Enugu

He said over 700 patients have been diagnosed to have hydrocephalus since the hospital’s inception in 2002. Of this number, only about 400 of the patients went for surgery while the remaining could not afford it.

He lamented that the prevalence rate of the ailment had risen within the past 10 years owing to the nonavailability of better diagnostic facilities for detection.

The medical expert said that hydrocephalus surgery in Nigeria costs between N150,000 and N300,000, and over N1 million abroad.

Ohaegbulam further said after surgery, the patients’ medical condition needs frequent follow-up for life, as it requires a shunt (tube) implantation, which is prone to such complications as infection, blockage and other risks.

Throwing light on hydrocephalus, the professor of Neurosurgery said: “Our bodies produce a clear colourless fluid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that circulates inside and around the brain. Normally, we produce about 500cc of this fluid daily to continuously replace the one that is absorbed. There is a delicate balance, therefore, between the rate of production and the rate of absorption, if the balance is upset either by increased production or diminished absorption. An excess of this CSF fluid accumulates in the head, resulting in hydrocephalus (big head).”

The neurosurgeon also identified infections, such as (Meningitis), bleeding, stroke, brain tumours, head injury and other factors as some of the major causes of hydrocephalus, pointing out that it could be present at birth while acquired hydrocephalus occurs after birth.

AMMA Knife is not really a knife at all, but radiosurgery - a non-invasive neurosurgical procedure that uses powerful doses of radiation to target and treat diseased brain tissue while leaving surrounding tissue intact. Gamma Knife surgery is recognised worldwide as the preferred treatment for brain tumors, arteriovenous malformations and brain dysfunctions such as trigeminal neuralgia. The Gamma Knife offers a non-invasive alternative for many patients for whom traditional brain surgery is not an option. This state-of-the art technology allows physicians to operate on brain lesions often considered inoperable.

Gamma Knife surgery represents a major advance in brain surgery, and in the last three decades has changed the landscape within the field of neurosurgery. Gamma Knife surgery removes the physical trauma and the majority of risks associated with conventional surgery.

This effective single session treatment may require an overnight hospital stay, but is often done in an outpatient surgical setting with periodic follow-up. It has been proven safe over the long term and is recognized and covered by insurance plans in USA,UK and India.

A Gamma Knife typically contains 201 cobalt-60 sources of approximately 30 curies, each placed in a circular array in a heavily shielded assembly. The device aims gamma radiation through a target point in the patient’s brain. The patient wears a specialized helmet that is surgically fixed to the skull, so that the brain tumor remains stationary at the target point of the gamma rays.

An ablative dose of radiation is thereby sent through the tumor in one treatment session, while surrounding brain tissues are relatively spared.

Early Signs of Brain Tumor

•Oyo addressing Lekki residents at the Eva Fun Walk in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos

E

Eva Fun Walk holds in Lekki

VA Fun Walk, a Coca-Cola Nigeria’s communitybased active living programme, has mobilised some Lekki Phase 1, Lagos residents on a seven-kilometre walk within the estate.

The event, which kicked off at the Pavilion on Admiralty Way, is part of the company’s commitment to promote active healthy living. Eva Fun Walk promoted

by Eva, the company’s table water brand aims to establish active living clubs (Eva Active Clubs) to help residents of organised com-

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

munities to engage in weekly fitness exercises and receive tips on healthy living.

The walk is also to assist in building more inclusive and connected communities, by encouraging families to participate in the walk.

Lekki residents could not hide their appreciation as they turned out in large numbers to participate in the event, which is endorsed by the Lagos State Government and organised in collaboration with

the residents association.

Senior Brand Manager, Still Beverages, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Otome Oyo said: “Eva Fun Walk is part of our Live Positively Initiative that demonstrates our commitment to promoting healthy active living and sustainable communities.

With the Eva Active Club established here, Lekki Phase 1 residents have an effective platform to organise weekly community fitness programmes and receive tips on actively healthy living. We thank the community for embracing this initiative.”

Brain tumors compress and invade crucial brain structures as they grow, giving rise to progressive neurological disturbances. A brain tumor should be suspected whenever a patient shows slowly evolving neurological signs and symptoms, particularly those itemised below: •Intense headaches, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting or worse in the morning •Seizures of recent onset, generalized or focal •Personality changes, mental sluggishness, or memory loss •Visual complaints, such as blurred or double vision, or an enlarged blind spot •Hearing loss •Lack of co-ordination or localised physical weakness •“Stroke-like” symptoms - particularly in the elderly •Increasing head size (in children) The safety and effectiveness of Gamma Knife make it the optimal choice for treating a wide variety of brain disorders. Backed by nearly three decades of research, no other neurosurgical instrument has met with such impressive results as Gamma Knife surgery did. Following are the various types of Brain

Cancers and Tumors that are successfully treated by Gamma Knife surgery procedure; •Acoustic Neuroma •Brain metastases (cancers that have spread from their original site to the brain) •Chordoma •Craniopharyngioma •Glioma •Hemangioblastoma •Meningioma •Pineal tumors •Pituitary adenoma

Advantages of Gamma Knife Surgery Gamma Knife surgery has many advantages compared with traditional surgery and some other types of radiation treatment.

•Since Gamma Knife radiosurgery is performed without incisions or general anesthesia, many of the usual risks associated with conventional neurosurgery, such as neurological deficit, infection and bleeding, are reduced.

•Patients are discharged from the Gamma Knife Center on the day of treatment and are usually able to return to their normal activities within 24 hours.

•Gamma Knife technology is a recognized safe treatment. It has been in use for more than 15 years and over 300,000 patients worldwide have benefited from this treatment.

•Gamma Knife delivers single doses of radiation therapy to targeted areas of the brain with a precision of less than 1 mm. The beam is so precise that the surrounding normal tissue receives minimum radiation.

•Hospitalisation is short, typically an overnight stay or an outpatient surgical procedure. Patients can immediately resume their previous activities.

•Gamma Knife may cost less than conventional surgery. Also, the expenses of disability and prolonged convalescence associated with conventional surgery are avoided.

Gamma Knife Surgery for Brain Tumor in India Gamma knife brain tumor surgery in India has set a new wave in the field of medical science to cure brain tumors and brain cancer and now medical patients from Nigeria are coming to India at Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore to get their surgery done at affordable prices. Medical treatment in India has become a good option for universal patients and especially for Nigerian citizens who want to get health recovery at low cost and at world-class medical treatment facilities.

“The medical cost savings of having gamma knife surgery in India are among the best in the world, with fees between a third and 10 percent of the equivalent procedure in the USA. Many doctors are trained abroad and hospitals attracting international patients are on par or better with those in the west with all staff being proficient in English. In addition, India has many appealing options for recovery with costs for accommodation typically low.“

Dr. Bojwani is the Chief Executive of Forerunners Healthcare Consultants Pvt Ltd, India’s Pioneer Medical tourism organisation.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

43

HEALTH

New drugs coming

A

PHARMACEUTICAL Company in Nigeria, Bolar Pharmaceuticals Limited, has concluded plans to launch two natural herbal products Immiflex and Hunza on September 13, 2011 in Lagos.

The Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Bolade Soremikun, made this known at a briefing in Ikeja, Lagos.

Soremikun said the new products are intensed to provide useful options for enhancing immune system and disease prevention, as well as cancer prevention and treatment.

He said Immiflex strengthens and enhances the immune system and reduces the incidence of coughs, flu, auto immune disease as well as malaria and stress while Hunza is a natural supplement used to man-

By Adeola Ogunlade

age and prevent cancer.

The two drugs will be launched with awareness and alternative therapy seminar on September 13 at the Main Hall, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, (LASUTH) and on September 15, at the Union Bank Hall, The Sickle Cell Centre, Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Idi-araba, Lagos.

Guest speaker expected at the event include: Dr Szabolcs Ladi, Dr F. E. Olotu, Vice-President Sales and Marketing Biothera, United States of America, Dr. Allen Porter, Health care Scientific Advisory Board Member, Biothera, United States of America and representatives of the Ministry of Health, doctors, health workers, civil society groups and volunteers.

Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital gets new chief

•From left: Ms Nonny Ugboma, Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation; Mrs Sarah Adebisi Sosan, former Deputy Governor, Lagos State; Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, Director, MTN Foundation, and Prof Olu Akinyanju, Chairman, Sickle Cell Foundation, Nigeria, at the closing of the 13th Genetic Counselling Training Course on Sickle Cell Disorder sponsored by MTN Foundation ... on Friday.

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

•Dr Lawal

A

CONSULTANT Psychiatrist, Dr Rahman A. Lawal, has been confirmed as the new Medical Director of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba.

He was born on January 3, 1955.

He is a native of Osun State, Nigeria. Until his appointment, he was the Consultant, Drug Abuse Treatment and Management.

In a statement by the Head, Corporate Affairs of the hospital, Mrs Lydia Adza Ajayi, Dr Lawal started his career at the hospital as Registrar in 1984.

In 1993, he passed the final Fellowship of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and qualified as a Consultant Psychiatrist. Five years later, he obtained a Master’s in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States.

He attended St. Charles Grammar School, Osogbo, Osun State and the Ain-Shams University, College of Medicine, (MBBCH) Cairo, Egypt. He did his housemanship at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital between 1980 and 1981. He was at the Ikeja General Hospital, Lagos

between 1981 and 1982 for his compulsory youth service. Between 1982 and 1984, he was a Medical Officer at Bibi Hospital Agege, Lagos State.

From 1999 to 2003, Dr Lawal was a Consultant (Psychiatrist) Special Grade II and Head of the Hospital’s Residency Training and Research Programmes. In 2004, he was promoted to Consultant Special Grade I and the Head of Residency Training and Research.

In 2005, Dr Lawal obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Hospital Management from the University of Lagos. Between 2006 and 2010 he was the Head of Clinical Services in the hospital.

Dr Lawal is a member of the West African College of Physicians (Psychiatry) and the Institute of Strategic Management, Nigeria. He is also a 1997/1998 Humphrey Fellow in Substance Abuse. He has been involved at both national and International levels in Injecting Drug Use (IDU) and HIV Research.

This course has taken him on wide International travels.

Besides, he has completed his course work towards the award of a Master’s in Business Administration from the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos.

He has published and presented numerous scientific papers and supervised research projects of many resident doctors. He chairs many hospital committees. He has attended various trainings, workshops and seminars both within and outside the country.

Dr Lawal, who is a polygot, is married and has children.

•From left: Mrs Itohowo Uko of the Federal Ministry of Health; Special Adviser, on Public Health to Lagos State Governor, Dr Yewande Adeshina; and Director, Disease Control, Lagos State Ministry of Health and Dr. Femi Taiwo, at the Orientation of Media, on the Long, Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) Mass Campaign in Lagos.

•From left: Serah Pasterwak of Clinton Foundation; Dr Babajide Coker, National Co-ordinator, National Malaria Control Programme; Dr Paul Orhii; Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug and Administration Control (NAFDAC), at a meeting organised by NAFDAC on Security, the Drug Supply Chain, using the mobile authentification services at NAFDAC Office, Oshodi, Lagos PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAM

How to curb migraine •Get a good night’s sleep.

Changes in sleep patterns, changing shifts, and jet lag can trigger migraines. Try to maintain a regular schedule and get up and go to bed at the same time every single day.

•Lie down, put an ice pack wrapped in a towel or a cold compress on your throbbing head to soothe swollen, pulsing blood vessels until the pain subsides.

•If you don’t want to put a cold compress on your head to relieve the pain, soak one or both of your hands in ice water for as long as you can tolerate it. While your hands are in the water, ball them into fists and open and close them

repeatedly. It can have the same effect as a compress on your head.

•Believe it or not, caffeine works! It’s a paradox of headaches: Ingest too much caffeine and you may get a headache, but take a little bit and it can help make the pain disappear. Studies have shown that aspirin and ibuprofen are more effective when combined with caffeine. So if you take aspirin or ibuprofen at the onset of a migraine, wash it down with a cup of coffee.

•Keep the room dark. Light sometimes aggravates migraine symptoms, lie down in a dark room.

•Do not skip meals. Skipping

meals can trigger a migraine attack. If you can, eat smaller meals throughout the day or be sure to eat three meals.

•Take note of what you eat. Certain foods trigger a migraine attack in about 10 per cent of migraine sufferers. It can take from 30 minutes to 12 hours for a food to cause a reaction. If you get a migraine, think back to what you ate in that time frame and try eliminating some of those foods from your diet.

•Take riboflavin. Studies have shown that taking 400 milligrams a day of riboflavin can help eliminate migraines.

•Spice it up. The hot ingredient

in red pepper, capsaicin, is a terrific painkiller and may help those who have migraines feel better during an attack. You do not need to include red pepper in all your meals. You can buy cayenne pepper capsules in health food stores.

•Try not to sleep late on weekends. Though it might seem like a reward to relax and sleep in, giving yourself that letdown after stress is a common trigger.

Waking up late can also trigger a migraine by changing your normal sleep pattern and may cause you to miss breakfast which also triggers a migraine.

If you really must sleep late on

the weekends, try sleeping with a tiny bit of your window open to let air in.

•If you’re prone to vomiting during migraines, keep a can of Campbell’s Chicken Broth upside down in your refrigerator. Really.

After you’re finished in the bathroom, take out the can, turn it right-side up, open, pour out the broth (leave the fat stuck to the top), and drink it once you’re able.

Replaces needed electrolytes, etc., helps relieve the weakness and general malaise. Don’t know why Campbell’s works better than any other brand, but it does.

•Source: www.mayoclinic.com

44

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

45

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

AVIATION

How to improve air safety, by NIMET boss H

OW can Nigeria’s airspace be secured?

It is by upgrading weather-related facilities among others, at the airports, says Director-General of Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Dr. Anthony Anuforom.

He said investigations revealed that the air crashes that occurred between 2003 and 2006 were traceable to bad weather.

Anuforom, who spoke at the installation of the Low Level Alert System at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, said government was concerned about the negative impact of weather on aircraft movement. Efforts, he said, had been stepped up to ensure the establishment/resuscitation of four additional upper air stations at Enugu, Kano, Maiduguri and Lagos.

With the increase in the number of upper air stations from one in Abuja to five, amid plans to estab-

Stories by Kelvin Osa-Okunbor Aviation Correspondent

lish additional three before the end of the year, safety in the nation’s airspace is assured, he said.

According to him, the agency has, in the past few years, been reequipping over 40 weather observatories nationwide with conventional instruments.

He spoke of plans by the agency to construct nine new synoptic station buildings in Abakaliki, Azare, Benin, Damaturu, Dutse, Owerri, Masaka and Sokoto, as well as marine weather observation stations in Aiyetoro, Mahin, Bonny and Calabar.

Anuforom said the agency was not relenting in its efforts to ensure the procurement and installation of five satellite distribution systems in Abuja, Ikeja, Kano, Owerri, Port Harcourt and Sokoto, adding that the one for Maiduguri would be installed soon.

NIMET, he said, has also procured and installed seven lighting and thunderstorm detectors in Kaduna, Ibadan, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Yola, in addition to the procurement and installation of six integrated aviation weather observatory and display systems in Enugu, Ilorin, Owerri, Katsina, Calabar and Maiduguri airports.

Anuforom said: “This year, we inaugurated the National Weather Forecasting & Climate Research Centre, a world-class infrastructure at the Abuja Airport. Prior to that, we had, since 2008, implemented a number of projects designed to improve the quality of our services. Among these are the development and deployment of a new and indigenous weather information transmission system called e-Met, establishment/resuscitation of four additional upper air stations at Enugu, Kano, Maiduguri and Oshodi (Lagos)”.

With these, he said, the number

of functional upper air stations has increased from one (Abuja) in 2008 to five. Before the end of the year, three new ones will be established in Calabar, Jos and Yola, he added.

Anuforom listed the extensive rehabilitation of NIMET complex in Oshodi, additional classrooms and hostel facilities at the Regional Training Centre, Oshodi, construction and equipping of a new Instrument Calibration workshop at Abuja as some of the projects accomplished to improve air safety.

He said: “Today, we are happy to add one more item to the list of our achievements by reporting that we have successfully installed a Low Level Wind Shear Alert System (LLWAS) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

“The Site Acceptance Test (SAT) for this system was completed on July 12 and the system is now operational. This achievement is truly historic because this is the first time

in the history of aviation in Nigeria that this airport is equipped with this safety-critical equipment.

“You will recall that the aviation industry in Nigeria witnessed its darkest period between 2003 and 2006 when several aircraft accidents occurred resulting in loss of lives. Reports on these unfortunate accidents suggest that wind shear is a contributing factor in some of them.

“Although aviation has been proven to be the safest mode of transport, the spate of air crashes at that time created unnecessary panic and had a negative impact on the confidence of Nigerians in air travel. It, therefore, became necessary for the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Aviation and its parastatals to take steps to reassure Nigerians that safety and security in our airspace are still paramount in its programmes. and its parastatals in this regard.”

Firm sets up platform to examine service gaps

T

O address salient issues and shabby treatment of passen gers at airports, a firm, Karamba Group, has created a platform where industry players will examine the quality of service and deficiency of infrastructure.

Its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Daniel Young, who spoke to reporters in Lagos, explained that the platform is meant to improve service delivery by bringing to the public domain problems affecting service delivery and how to address them.

Among the stakeholders expected to speak on the platform are those of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), airlines, ground handling companies, concessionaires, other service providers and users in the aviation sec• Dr. Young and Head, Human Resources, Karamba Group Mrs. Rosemary Anonye, at the briefing.

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE

Disquiet over planned sale of FAAN, others

T

HERE is disquiet in aviation circles over the planned privatisation and commercialisation of some agencies and organisations under the government’s transformation agenda.

Some stakeholders are opposed to the exercise under which the government plans to privatise the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), among others.

They fear that the exercise will not promote growth, as it may lack transparency like previous exercises.

The President of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Safiyatu Mohammed, said the government could not be trusted to be transparent in the privatisation of institutions, such as NCAT which, he

said, was not established for making profit, but for building capacity for the sector.

Mohammed said the rationale for the planned sale was borne out of lack of experience by those saddled with running the industry. He said they ought to be grounded to know that such key institutions could not be considered for profit making, because NCAT is mandated to produce experts such as pilots, air traffic controllers/engineers and other categories of professionals.

According to him, as much as the government is poised to privatise some agencies in the aviation ministry, it will be unacceptable to privatise NCAT, which mandate according to the Act establishing it, is to train key professionals.

Any attempt to deviate from such mandate will not serve the collective purpose for which it was established, he added.

Mohammed said: “There is a process to be followed if government wants to privatise any agency in the industry. The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has a list of companies to be privatised. We can report to anybody that NCAT is not part of such organisations, because it was established by an Act of Parliament for the training of pilots, air traffic engineers, air traffic controllers and other professionals.”

“If NCAT, is to be commercialised, many ordinary Nigerians may not have the opportunity to become pilots because the fees to be charged may be out of their reach. If government gives money to the college to acquire aircraft, build an aircraft maintenance hangar, privatisation is not the way to go.

“Aviation unions will stop at nothing to ensure that the college is not commercialised.”

Qatar Airways raises frequency on Doha-Dubai route

Q

ATAR Airways has increased its frequency on the Doha-Dubai route with three additional daily flights taking capacity to 11 services a day in a bid to offer passengers more choice.

The additional services provide improved connection opportunities over the airline’s Doha hub to a raft of destinations across the carrier’s international network.

The mix of morning, afternoon

and late night additional flights to Dubai, ensure more travel options and reinforce the importance Qatar Airways places on the route, the highest frequency of any route operated by the airline with 77 services each week.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, Akbar Al Baker, said: “Additional capacity on our most popular route, demonstrates the level of confidence and commitment we have to a key

neighbouring market. It is also indicative that as we develop our international network with the introduction of new routes, we want to provide the travelling public greater travel options between Doha and our feeder markets such as Dubai.

“Apart from inducting new destinations into our global network, integral in our strategy is to continue stepping up frequency on existing routes.”

tor.

Young said the platform would create an avenue for industry players to identify how to seek business opportunities around the airport, such as duty-free shops, meters and greeters facility, airport lounges and other comfort facilities.

He said the air travel industry remains the safest and fastest means of travel, but inherent problems of epileptic ticket price, missing luggages and others have made it less effective.

Young said the television programme is not aimed at any agency because it mainly exposes some of the problems faced, noting that it will bring together service providers and passengers to iron out some of the challenges.

Charter operator makes case for funding

M

ANAGING Director of OAS Helicopters Captain Everest Nnaji has canvassed the injection of funds into the sector by the Federal Government. Such funds, he said, should be deployed to the acquisition of new aircraft, which will add value to the safety profile of airlines.

Nnaji spoke against the backdrop of the intervention funds proposed for domestic airlines. He reasoned that it was wrong to give cash to airline operators, stressing that management of funds is a concern in the industry.

According to him, the idea of

government investing in the construction of a national hangar may not be advisable now because there is no evidence to buttress the available local capacity for the maintenance of aircraft in Nigeria.

He said: “I will advise them further on what has just started. They gave out money to Bank of Industry (BoI) in what could be called debt buy back, a kind of intervention that enables the bank to take from the money an airline owes them. It is quite relieving and stress immune.

Aero begins e-booking

A

ERO Airlines has launched a facility that will enable bookings-on-hold via SMS and payment on the Internet through www.quickteller.com.

The booking platform took effect from this month.

This application, which has been integrated into the aero ticket-sale booking engine, offers customers the opportunity to book for flight tickets from any part of the country via SMS with mobile phones.

Capt. Akin George, Managing Director for Aero, said: “We are excited to introduce the SMS booking option. It has been our policy to make travel more easy, affordable, simple and convenient. With this booking option, passengers will be able to conveniently book for tickets without having to go to the airline’s sales desk. Customers can access the option by first mak-

ing reservations by phone via the SMS and then make payment Online through Quikteller.com across the country using the booking reference.”

He explained how customers can purchase a ticket from their mobile phone by just sending two SMS to a short code.

He said: “Customers are to look up for available flights by sending their departure and destination city, the date they want to fly to a short code 32120 in the this format: Aero Lagos-Abuja July 20. Then the system responds with a confirmation of the route, date, list of available flight connections and the price for a single adult ticket. You can then choose a flight from the list and text the row number of that flight, your first name and surname to 32120 in the format: Aero 3 John Smith.”

46

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

NATION SPORT FOOTBALL TRANSFER...FOOTBALL TRANSFER...FOOTBALL TRANSFER...

Mourinho urges Udinese discovers Pereyra Diarra to find new club

U

DINESE have reportedly snapped up River Plate’s teenage talent Roberto Pereyra, who could be the new Alexis Sanchez.

The Friulani have made their fortune by scouring the South American market for young prospects and then turning them into stars.

There are rumours their latest discovery is 19-year-old River Plate creative midfielder Pereyra.

He can play both in a deeper role and as trequartista behind the strikers, having featured recently for Argentina in the Under-20 World Cup. He is believed to have cost Udinese around •5m.

R •Diarra

EAL Madrid boss Jose Mourinho admits he’s waiting for Lassana Diarra to be sold.

Diarra is interesting Tottenham and AC Milan.

Mourinho said: “We must respect the contracts of the players we don’t count on.

Lass decided not to be part of the team.

“On the other hand, it was the coach’s decision not to count on Gago, Drenthe and Pedro Leon. If Lass doesn’t reach a solution he’ll have to rejoin the team and will be an option for me because I never wanted him to leave. The rest don’t enter my plans, but it wouldn’t be a problem for me to have them around.”

•Pandev

Cillessen to join Ajax

Gasperini: Inter needs a striker

I

NTER coach Gian Piero Gasperini has pinpointed the need for a new striker at his disposal by the end of the transfer window, with the arrival of Diego Forlan from Atletico Madrid looking imminent.

The San Siro side suffered a 3-2 friendly defeat to Chievo on Saturday, a match scheduled in light of the current Serie A strike following a dispute over a new collective contract.

Between that loss at Stadio Brianteo and Samuel Eto’o’s departure for Anzhi Makhachkala, Gasperini conceded that his side is in need of more strength up front.

“There are still three days of the transfer market to go and then we will start from there.

We have clear ideas,” he told reporters. “Everything is difficult on the market, we do not know what transfers will be closed.

“If we are able to improve the squad by adding in attack then we will be stronger.”

Meanwhile, Atleti coach Gregorio Manzano has

confirmed that Forlan is on the verge of joining Inter, stating on Saturday that the Uruguayan could join the Milanese giants within ‘the next few hours’.

It is reported the Serie A side could seal a move for the 32year-old Uruguay international for five million euros.

•Forlan

Voller would let Ballack leave

B

AYER Leverkusen director of sport Rudi Voller says he will not stand in the way of Michael Ballack should he wish to leave the club.

Ballack is being linked with a move to Wolfsburg after spending another 90 minutes on the bench on Saturday and Voller says Ballack is not being held in Leverkusen against his will.

“Should he come to us, then of course we would be willing to talk to him, given our personal relationship,” said Voller to Sport1 television.

“We would then sit down and find a satisfactory solution.”

However, a satisfactory

solution does not necessarily mean a severing of ties, even if the former Germany captain is unlikely to be happy spending most of his time on the bench in Leverkusen.

Voller still believes Ballack’s time will come, especially in such a long season with the Champions League and the Bundesliga filling the agenda.

“There are just players who are a bit stronger at the moment,” said Voller.

“He will just have to be patient.”

The 34-year-old still has a year left on his contract with Leverkusen, for whom he has made just 18 appearances since arriving from Chelsea over a year ago.

Pandev to Napoli was ‘necessary’

G

ORAN Pandev felt “enormous emotions” at his Napoli presentation, as Aurelio De Laurentiis explains why his signing was “necessary.”

The striker arrived on loan from Inter this weekend and was introduced to the San Paolo ahead of Saturday night’s 3-1 friendly win over Palermo.

“It felt incredible,” said the Macedonian international. “I am very happy with this new adventure that has already had an extraordinary start.

“Hearing 60,000 people calling my name at the San Paolo gave me enormous emotions. I thank Napoli for giving me this great opportunity.”

President De Laurentiis was also at the team presentation

and explained what prompted the Pandev move.

“I considered it necessary after the Champions League draw. I managed to complete the talks with Massimo Moratti, who is a real gentleman, within a few hours.”

Napoli were matched with Manchester City, Villarreal and Bayern Munich in the European competition.

“Pandev is a great player.

Walter Mazzarri, who is a genius, considers Pandev a player who can take on many different attacking roles.

“We are still looking on the market, as we are a growing club and look at every detail. There could be another announcement within days, or we can talk about it again in January.”

Kjaer’s Roma move in doubt

S

IMON Kjaer’s move to Serie A giants Roma looks to have been put on hold after reports in Italy claim the defender has been recalled by his club Wolfsburg.

The Denmark International, who joined the Bundeliga club last season, has been in erratic form so far this season, with head coach Felix Magath bringing in Greek Sotiris Kyrgiakos from Liverpool earlier in the week as a likely replacement for the player.

But, after Kjaer spent two days in the Italian capital undergoing a medical and all set to officially sign a deal, it seems as though discussions between the clubs have hit a snag.

Although Magath confirmed the former Palermo star was heading to the Giallorossi, speculation in Italy suggests Roma’s surprise exit from the Europa League at the hands of Slovan

G

IGI Buffon is “Juventus for life,” declared his agent. “He received many offers over the years.”

The goalkeeper has been linked with a move to the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Roma over the past few months.

“Gigi will be tied to Juventus for life,” agent Silvano Martina told Radiosportiva.

“If his desire was to leave, then he would’ve gone already. He received many offers over the years, but the Bianconeri fans were always behind him.”

A

JAX are poised to sign goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen from NEC Nijmegen on a five-year contract.

In an announcement on Saturday, the Dutch champions said that they have reached an agreement

•Cillessen

•Kjaer

Bratislava meant club officials wanted to alter the agreement for the centre-back.

The Italians looked set to pay somewhere in the region of £7 for the 22-year-old before their disappointing exit from the competition.

Buffon’s current contract with the Turin giants expires in June 2013.

•Buffon

with their Eredivisie rivals but did not disclose the transfer fee they would have to pay.

“Ajax and N.E.C. have, in broad terms, reached an agreement for the transfer of Jasper Cillessen,” reads the statement on Ajax’s official website.

“The deal is tentative and is dependent on several conditions being met, and a medical examination. After this, the keeper would sign a contract in Amsterdam with a length of five seasons, until June 30, 2016.”

The 22-year-old developed at NEC’s youth academy and after making his debut for the first team in August last year, enjoyed an impressive 201011 campaign.

Cillessen is expected to fight with Kenneth Vermeer for regular first team football for Ajax, who have been seeking for a custodian to replace Maarten Stekelenburg, who joined Italian club Roma earlier this summer.

Milan renews Montolivo bid

M

Buffon ‘is Juve for life’

•Ballack

•Pereyra

ILAN need to replace Mathieu Flamini and it’s reported they have made an improved •7m offer for Riccardo Montolivo.

The Rossoneri are looking for a midfielder in the final days of the transfer market after a knee ligament injury ruled Flamini out for five to six months.

According to La Nazione newspaper, this has prompted them to make a new bid for original target Montolivo.

Fiorentina had point-blank rejected the original proposal and declared he would “only be sold abroad.”

However, with time running out and the player out of contract in June 2012, the Viola do not want to risk losing him on a free transfer.

It’s claimed Milan have

offered •7m for the Italian international, although that is still below the •10m price-tag.

Montolivo had been their prime target before securing Alberto Aquilani on loan from Liverpool.

•Montolivo

Palermo confirms Vazquez deal

P

ALERMO have confirmed a deal for Belgrano’s Franco Vazquez to arrive in January, while Fabrizio Miccoli “will definitely stay.”

There were reports the Rosanero were going to bring in creative midfielder Vazquez this summer, but the 22-year-old will wait until the end of Argentina’s Apertura season.

“We wanted to sign him now, as we consider him a player who can make the difference,” director of sport Sean Sogliano told Il Giornale di Sicilia.

“Both Belgrano and the

player pushed to put back the transfer until January. We decided to accept, because we believe so much in the qualities of this player.

“It would be a mistake for Palermo to abandon the whole thing by not accepting the delay until January.”

This weekend captain Miccoli declared he was ready to leave if he would only be used for the final 20 minutes of games.

“Miccoli will definitely stay and the fans need to relax,” insisted Sogliano. “He said nothing wrong, as obviously all players want time on the field. Fabrizio is a reference point for this team.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

47

NATION SPORT

• Usain Bolt of Jamaica pushes off to start his men's 100 metres semi final during day two of the 13th IAAF World Athletics Championships at the Daegu Stadium

T

HE false-start rule that saw Usain Bolt disqualified from the World Championships 100m final will be discussed by the IAAF next Sunday.

Olympic and defending world champion Bolt was thrown out of the showpiece final after one false start in Daegu.

A spokesman for the world athletics governing body said the rule, which was introduced in 2010, “could be changed”.

“It would be pending official approval by the congress. It’s possible but I can’t speculate,” he told BBC Sport.

Bolt’s anger was clear as he hit

WORLD ATHLETICS 2011

IAAF to discuss false-start rule the wall at the side of the track following his disqualification.

But many veteran observers agree with the new rule, which brings automatic disqualification for anyone moving before the gun and do no want the council of

world athletics governing body the IAAF to make a change.

Former world 1500m champion and commentator Steve Cram said: “It’s almost unbelieveable. Usain Bolt had it all there before him and he false-starts.

Liakhovich’s nose broken in two places

by Helenius A FTER turning in a thrilling, gutsy and bloody performance Saturday night vs. Robert Helenius, in Erfurt, Germany, Former Heavyweight Champion Sergei Liakhovich was taken to a local emergency room in the early morning hours where a CT scan revealed that the warrior’s nose had been broken in two places during the bout.

Gasping for breath from early in the third round when the first fracture occurred, until the fight was stopped in the ninth by veteran referee Stanley Christodoulu, Liakhovich suffered fractures of the bones located high up on the bridge of both the right and left sides of his nose.

“Sergei was unable to breathe through his nose from the moment the first break occurred in the third round,” Manager Tony Cardinale said.

At the same time, Liakhovich began to swallow copious amounts of blood as he attempted to catch a breath through his mouth.

“Sergei proved last night that he is one of the toughest fighters in the heavyweight division.” Cardinale continued. “Despite a painful handicap that made it nearly impossible for him to take a proper breath, Sergei kept on coming. Even after the knockdown, he came back swinging. Had Sergei not been so severely injured, I think he would have won the fight.”

Doctors, Saturday night, advised “The White Wolf” to remain at the hospital and have immediate surgery under general anesthesia. However, later on Sunday morning, a surgeon determined that the bruising and swelling was too severe to operate

right now.

Liakhovich, whose trip back to the US has been postponed due to travel restrictions caused by Hurricane Irene, intends to have the necessary surgery later this week when he returns to his home in Arizona.

“Those who say that there are no exciting fighters in the heavyweight division haven’t been paying attention,” promoter Kathy Duva of Main Events said. “Sergei has now participated in two of the most actionpacked heavyweight fights of the past 10 years and he let me know this morning that he wishes to remain as active as possible as soon as he

recovers.”

The Belarusian, who has been inactive for 17 months due to a contractual dispute, a training injury and an injury suffered by Helenius earlier in the summer, fought under the Main Events banner for the first time, last night.

“A fighter needs to stay active to be sharp,” Duva continued. “While fighting through the pain and barely able to breathe, Sergei actually improved his performance during the middle rounds as his timing started to come back. When Sergei fully recovers from his injuries, Main Events intends to treat Sergei’s fans—and I know he made a lot of new ones last night—by keeping him very busy.”

“He knows the rules. There’s nothing wrong with the false-start rule, people have got used to it and accept it and actually it’s there to help people like him.

“Having this rule of no twitching, one and you’re out, stops people messing around.”

The IAAF spokesman, director of communications Nick Davies, told BBC Sport: “Of course we’re very disappointed Usain Bolt falsestarted but the rules are the rules, they’re the same for every athlete and we have to be fair and apply

them to every athlete.”Usain will be back to run again and I think he would be first to admit he did false start and that’s the way it goes.”

Until 2001, every athlete had the right to one false start before risking disqualification, with the demands of television a major factor in the change.

Under the second version of the rule, athletes had the right to make one false start and any of the competitors would then be disqualified for a subsequent false start.

Serena, Venus to play in Colombia Serena (l) and Venus

V

ENUS and Serena Williams will play an exhibition tennis match in the northern Colombian city of

Medellin in November.

The sisters, who have won 20 grand slam singles titles between them, will appear in the South American country for the first time, says Jhan Fontalvo, head of the company promoting the event.

Both players have slipped down the rankings following recent injury problems, with Serena currently No. 29 and older sister Venus at No. 36.

The exhibition match will take place on Nov. 23 at the La Macarena events center.

Alonso: It’s getting more difficult

F

• Robert Helenius of Finland (R) and Siarhei Liakhovich of Belarus exchange punches during the WBO and WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship fight

ERNANDO Alonso admits his chances of winning the World title are slipping after failing to catch the Red Bulls in Belgium.

Starting eighth on the grid, Alonso quickly made his way up the order and was even leading the grand prix at one point.

However, as the race progressed, the Red Bulls came to the fore with first Vettel and then his team-mate Mark Webber, who Alonso tussled with on several occasions, overtaking the Spaniard.

Adding insult to injury, he was also overhauled by Jenson Button in the final stint as the Spaniard’s Ferrari just didn’t have the pace to

hold off the attack from the McLaren.

• Alonso

THE NATION TUESSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

48

NATION SPORT

van Marwijk: We’ve learned how to win D

ESPITE his not having managed any sleep since arriving on Brazilian soil, it was an alert, chatty, straight-talking and philosophical Bert van Marwijk who welcomed FIFA.com into his Rio de Janeiro hotel for an exclusive interview the night before the Preliminary Draw for the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 in July.

At the time, the Netherlands coach had not yet learned which teams would stand in the way of the Oranje gaining another shot at the world title in Brazil, after their quest in 2010 ended in a final-hurdle defeat at the hands of Spain. However, the Dutch national side’s impressive run since that landmark loss, as well as the secrets behind their success, provided some ideal alternative topics of discussion.

ELEVEN months ago you stated that picking your team up after their loss in the FIFA World Cup Final in Johannesburg was your most pressing challenge. The results achieved since then prove that you have successfully negotiated that hurdle. Did you underestimate your squad’s ability to bounce back?

That’s a very good question. I don’t know if you remember, but just two weeks after our defeat by Spain, we had a friendly match scheduled in the Ukraine. I didn’t want to play the game, and we asked the Ukrainian FA to postpone it, but they weren’t willing to do that. I travelled there with a second-string side, and I wasn’t too excited about it. My own motivation was lacking, and I didn’t hide that fact. I think you should always be honest with your players, rather than pretending or disguising your feelings. You know, when you’ve just been knocked out of the last 16 or the group stage of a World Cup, you’re keen to get playing again to focus on something else.

When you lose in the Final and you’re four minutes away from a penalty shoot-out, that’s not the case at all.

The players that were part of the squad in South Africa had no

•van Marwijk

motivation either, but since 2008 this team has learned how to win no matter the circumstances, whether they feel motivated or not. So yes, I’m happy to admit that perhaps I did underestimate this new faculty of theirs. After the match against Ukraine, the lads went back to their clubs and the new season kicked off, so they were in a much better physical condition when the qualifying matches for EURO 2012 came around.

Since then, your team has won all of their UEFA EURO qualifying games. What would you say is their new source of motivation?

I told them the same thing again and again during the World Cup: we have a mission. When I saw how calm my players were after beating Brazil, and that they remained just as focused as before, I realised they knew they had not yet completed their mission. I remember we’d arranged a little party to celebrate their win, and they said to me: “Not yet, coach”.

As far as this latest qualifying campaign is concerned, it’s different – I wouldn’t describe it as a mission this time around.

The players put their finger on it. What’s motivating us now is a desire to draw lessons from the final that we lost, and to make the most of that experience.

Everything was new for my players that night, and I can assure you they’ve learned from it.

Have your methods and

message changed since the FIFA World Cup Final?

I try to be as clear as possible with my players. Transparency is one of my ground rules. I want my team to be able to understand my methods, to support them and to put them into practice. To achieve that, you have to stick to the same style of play, and not make changes depending on your opponents or the context of the match. Otherwise the players start to doubt you, and it’s impossible to make real progress.

My aim is for us to be constantly progressing, to always be pushing ourselves to the limit of our system and methods. I’m always telling them that when you play in the same way, with the same intensity, then you’re sure to improve. If you do the opposite, then all you’re doing is reacting to others.

The key is to understand that there’s never any guarantee of winning your next match. It’s hard to find the words to explain how we work. I often feel like saying to journalists: “Come with us, follow us around, and observe us. Then you’ll see.”

Have your players surprised you at all during your UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying matches?

Looking back at the match with Hungary, it was a real mental test for us. We missed a chance to go 2-0 up and then lost our focus and found ourselves 2-1 down. We grabbed a couple more to take control of the match again, but the Hungarians

“I try to be as clear as possible with my players.

Transparency is one of my ground rules. I want my team to be able to understand my methods, to support them and to put them into practice”

•Bert van Marwijk

managed to find an equaliser. I was absolutely furious with my team; I couldn’t believe they’d allowed Hungary back into the match.

But out on the pitch, they remained composed, they stuck to the game plan without getting into a panic, and in the end we won the game 5-3. I was still angry, but also very proud. They blew me away. Taking the easy way out and being overly confident are classic Dutch traits. That was the first thing I had to battle against in this job, right from the start.

At what point did you become convinced that the players fully understood your message?

Matches come thick and fast, and you have to learn from each one. Our World Cup qualifier against Norway in Rotterdam was enormously satisfying for me. It offered proof that my words were getting through to the squad. We had already qualified for South Africa, but we put 100 per cent into the match, never taking our foot off the pedal. We won 2-0 and it was at that point that I knew they understood what I wanted.

There’s a big difference between believing and truly believing.

Since taking over in the

summer of 2008, your record has been exceptional, and you’ve made history by taking your side to the Final of South Africa 2010 and winning every qualifying match (FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO combined) you’ve been involved in. Do you ever step back and think about what you have achieved?

[Smiles] People bring up these records, but quite frankly, I never think about them. I tend to concentrate on the way we’re playing and my players’ mindset – that’s all that interests me. The opponent that this team really needs to fear is itself.

Has the way in which other national coaches regard you changed since South Africa 2010?

I got to know Vincente del Bosque, whose company I enjoy, and I believe the feeling is mutual. We even took part in a joint interview after the Final. I’ve got a lot of respect for Marcello Lippi too. I’ve learned that he feels the same way about me, and I take that as a huge compliment.

He and Del Bosque have both accomplished so much in the game.

Culled from fifa.com

SLIDING TACKLE

"We can only apologise and come back in our strength and desire in the next game.

Big scores are humiliating and difficult to swallow..."

50

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Wenger says sorry for defeat

An apologetic but hopeful Arsene Wenger speaking after his team, Arsenal FC suffered it's worst defeat ever; an 8-2 loss to Manchester United on Sunday US OPEN

McEnroe tips Djokovic to continue run

Rooney eyes Charlton's record

•Wenger

OTHER SPORTS...OTHER SPORTS...OTHER SPORTS...OTHER SPORTS...

WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS...

Usain aims for 200m gold after disappointment in 100m

Hamilton ‘guilty’ over Kobayashi crash at Belgian GP

•Novak Djokovic

Evert warns of Williams threat

•Hamilton

•Bolt

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

51

NEWS

Teetering on the democratic trampoline Continued from yesterday Here is a familiar example – trite, yet persistent, a recurring decimal in public instruction.

The Plateau government, recently passed a law forbidding that women be dressed in trousers, under a supposedly Christian ethic of ‘proper dressing’.

What business, in heaven’s name, has Christianity to do with a woman’s trousers? During an earlier bout of puritanic fever, this time in one of the south-eastern regions – I forget which, since state boundaries never seem to stop moving – one such resurgence took place under a military regime. As we have learnt to expect – and that gifted psychiatrist, Franz Fanon, had identified the syndrome in his seminal work, THE WRETCHED OF THE EARTH - the first line victims of the oppressed are always the next in line down the ladder of misery, a symptom of frustration and impotence that finds release in vengeance - not on their oppressors - but on other wretched of the earth.

Mob rule took over. Individuals formed themselves into sartorial vigilantes, administering instant justice. Women were stripped and flogged in the streets. Ever the opportunists, the enforcers of ‘Law’ weighed in, and women found themselves at the sadistic mercy of the police.

The rampage spread to other morality claims until the governor was called to order by his superiors and the doors he had flung open to Christian fanatics were finally slammed shut.

The common thread in these recurrent zones of public hysteria is a warped understanding of what various scriptures decree in matters of public attire for the different genders, issues on which the nation’s constitution is obviously silent, since the constitution was never conceived as a frivolous document. You and I know however, that theocratic invocation is usually a ploy of distraction from failed social management, for sectarian control that goes with the creation of a micro-elite, the need for separatism based on difference – at the basis of it all, political opportunism and gratification for control freaks. It is a purely social phenomenon that masquerades as divine mandate.

Yes, let us identify, with therapeutic frankness, and without bias, all manner of investors in the nation enterprise who theocraticize social issues. Since religion looms so large in national life, so large that it can produce conditions for instant, reflexive paranoia, let us once again advance the cause of a forum for the consideration of this volatile splint in the national construct.

This exercise is long overdue, it deserves its own space as critical input towards a national dialogue. We have urged this recourse again and again and, it is certain, that broken record will continue to run along its cracked groove until objective response is obtained, responses that are far more honest than those which issue from the mouths of the dedicated beneficiaries of what is so loosely called – The System – also known as the ‘status quo’. It is a cracked record whose message is cranked out from every corner of the nation polity, from seasoned constitutional lawyers through the ranks of professionals in all walks of life and variegated interests within society, some of whom have experienced what it is to be treated as aliens, as second-class citizens, or as occasional disposable fodder, in stag-

•Text of Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka’s speech at the Nigeria Bar Association Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State gering numbers, and often in the most brutish manner. As recently as this past week, a consistent voice in that regard, the octogenarian constitutional lawyer, Mr. Nwabueze, SAN, resumed the call for that open forum where the protocols of coming together will be re-examined, and the protocols of staying together will be tabled in the spirit of enlightened Dialogue. The Sultan’s lament is a timely addition. Not articulated as such, it is nonetheless an oblique summons in the same direction.

Let us take care to insist that It is not those who practise and espouse one religion or or the other religion in all sincerity and with genuine piety that theocraticize the civic space, but a minority who seek protection outside the provisions of the Law, and harness improper advantages outside the Constitution. We refer to those who cite Religion as their primary and final source of authority, in defiance to the commonality of protocols that supposedly transcend private, spiritual allegiances and make us all – to revert to our commencing exhortation from a state governor – who only happens to be a Moslem, ‘equals under the law’.

Those are the ones who theocraticize issues. It is to these that the Sultan’s words are most pertinent, in tandem with the excitable respondents to the notion of an Islamic bank. Is it possible that their paranoia is traceable to the nation’s recent past?

We shall by-pass the most notorious post-military fragmentation of national life delivered by the theocraticization of Zamfara state, followed by a number of others, within a nation founded on pluralism. Why? The nation appears to have ingested it like the illegitimate – but operative constitution itself which Zamfara (and mimic states) violated. And Law? The most egregious instance of the theocraticization of Law in recent times has been the case of the senatorial paedophile who transported an under-age girl across two national borders - the Egyptian, a Moslem nation, and Nigeria a multi-religious, both held together across religious adherences by a set of protocols known as the Constitution. The actual crime of pedophilia, and cross-border child trafficking $10,000 C.O.D. openly admitted can be put aside for now, temporarily, so as to confront quite squarely the phenomenon of a law-maker, former executive governor, who defiantly declared that his religion, islam, superceded the laws of the nation. “Why do people Islamize….?”

That is where it begins, or let us simply say, even if it did not begin here, it certainly exacerbated hidden contradictions in a democratic system, catapulting them onto the front burner – the attempt to Islamize a straightforward issue of Law and appropriate the Civic Will with sectarian arrogance. I have addressed this question through some prior lectures now gathered in one volume titled THE UNAPPEASABLE PRICE OF APPEASEMENT, and will therefore not flog it here. My purpose is to highlight the private, unilateral impositions on a pluralistic polity that attack a critical leg of the Democratic Tripod – Law. As for the constitution, let it be clearly understood that

as long as the bible of the christians, the Koran of the Moslems, the Bavaghad Gita of the Hindu or the Ifa Scriptures of Orisa etc etc. are held to override the only common bonds between their various adherents – the Constitution and the Law – the dreams of a functional democratic order are simply vaporous. Once we substitute theocratization for islamization, the Sultan’s warning becomes universally applicable.

Theocraticization however should not be permitted to monopolize our attention however; It is only one facet of internal contradictions. The very structure of governance, the patterns of conduct it engenders in rulers and the people, are profoundly at issue.

They stand to wreck, or reinforce any democratic venture. Fortunately for civil society, not all who have been elected mouthpiece and executors of the Civic Will have jettisoned the conscience that truly animates that Civic Will. Some have begun to question the very system that brought them to prominence. I am in touch with a Senator who has remained ill at ease with the inordinate perquisites taken home by him every month from the public purse, he and his fellow senators, and has taken a decision to split up his emoluments in a methodical manner, donating specific percentages to specific areas of need. I know this Senator personally and can vouch for his sincerity. However he also raises a lament which the rest of us, you and I, had better take into consideration as we espouse the cause and near inviolability of the Civic Will. I quote: “Unfortunately, the public suffers from acute schizophrenia in this matter. They are angry at what the politicians are earning but yet pester politicians endlessly for their own cuts from such earnings. Since becoming a senator, I have given out about 13 million naira already! The latest was distributing six million to my constituents for the Ramadan!

Fasting is meant to be a time of moral rectitude, personal discipline and material sacrifice. It is now standard expectation that politicians must distribute bags of rice, beans, plus cartons of milk, sugar etc during the Ramadan! We have turned religion upside down in Nigeria.

When Christmas comes, we must repeat these silly rituals.” End of quote.

Now the question I wish to put to each and every Nigerian citizen, all who generate, and are primary custodians of the Civic Will is this: should individual senators, governors and their other elected representatives bear this burden of conscience alone? The burden of conscience should begin with civil society, herein dubbed schizophrenic, and rightly so. Obviously it is not just the Civic Will that is demonstrably schizophrenic, the system inflicted upon it is the very product of schizoids, except that those schizoids, aptly called militricians, knew damned well what they were doing. Once again, the plaint must be screamed out loud and clear – the current governance system is the very provocation, the fons et origo of an anti-democratic governance. It is lop-sided, abominably over-centralized and an open invitation to cronyism, paternalism, depend-

ency, moral and fiscal bankruptcy. Yes, it has turned civil society schizophrenic.

Nigeria as a nation cannot afford, and remains unsuited to the presidential system! Let Civic Will first purge itself of the shortsighted, self-centred, grab-allyou can affliction, and it will find be armed with the moral authority to take the initiative and commence the debate on its force-fed diet of governance – in its own interest. Let the nation objectively assess the option of reverting to its grass-roots authority and courageously confront the necessity, not merely of decentralized governance, but of part-time representation – among other reforms.

After several years of profligacy, it has surely become crystal clear that this product of the Military Mafioso, forced upon over a hundred million of free people, was never intended for a nation that truly intended to democratize.

The stakes at the centre far outweigh the considerations of equity to the geographical parts that make up the whole, and those who fear that they have lost out in their assumptions of eternal, divinely bestowed control have grown increasingly desperate, anarchic and ruthless. They have formed allegiances with stateless agencies of universal destabilisation and operate outside reason, devoid of all norions of equity or historic consciousness. The signs are all around us, loud enough to rouse the dead and pluck the tail feathers off ostriches that insist on burying their heads in the sand. One by one, the legs of the Democratic Tripod are being corroded. The ride of complacency is over. It is time to return to the boards. If sectarian anarchy is not to rule the majority, let Civic Will commence the process of fulfilling its mission.

Our last word justly takes us back to that housepost of Democracy that is Law, whose occasion this is. How I wish my own cri de coeur - my cry from the heart were limited to the failure of the NBA to prosecute a rampaging and arrogant paedophile – among other disheartening derelictions.

Alas, we are confronted with the fact that the problem with this housepost is far more fundamental than one individual’s ability to outrage society and conscience.

So now, permit me to invite this learned assembly to consider the following startling turns of phrase: “Improper, illegal, ill-advised, counter-productive and self-destructive….a very pernicious precedent”….

Another: “wrong, rash, dangerous, self-destructive precedent….”

Just a few more: “ “ill-advised, imprudent and counter-productive…..” unacceptable, atrocious, illegal, unconstitutional, irresponsible….;” “putrid and offensive decision”; “crude and unethical…”

I believe that this represents a fair sampling of some recent commentary to which we have been lately subjected in the media. Now, if you thought that these quotes were culled from the latest exchanges between two current bantams of a cockfight Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Olusegun Obasanjo, you would be wrong. Those expletives have emerged from theranks of this very gathering, and they are inhouse brickbats directed at the

•Soyinka

actions of one of your apex bodies. They are legal voices that we have had no cause to distrust, whose public interventions are known to be selfless, balanced, and constructive. They are no rabble-rousers and their allegiance has been proven first and foremost to be to be Law. And they are unanimous.

So, ladies and gentlemen of this respected profession, what has gone wrong? Will you be doing some soul-searching at this convention? It need not be public.

Nothing is wrong with in-house deliberations from which nonlearned brothers and sisters are excluded, but we must have a resolution. One way or the other, this crucial leg of the Democratic tripod cannot be allowed to crumble.

Quite often we read the claim that Law is a temple of Justice.

Even in these exchanges, there is reference to this very lofty aspiration, with a searing lament that the Temple had been desecrated.

Even if this acclaimed temple were to appear to be nothing more elevated than a horse stable, your responsibilities would remain the same as those of a committed groom, always recalling that we have a choice to turn even a stable into, a venue for horse trading, or to recognize that the stable is also as much the cradle of thoroughbreds as of pitiable nags that can hardly stand on their legs, much less amble around the paddock, fit only to be put to pasture. No matter the pedigree of the stable at any given time, one thing we can be sure of: the groom takes pride in the stable, sweeps and keeps it clean, clears out the daily load of manure, keeps the air in circulation and ensures that visitors to the stables do not feel tarnished when undertaking a tour of the stables in the racing season. The Augean stables desperately await their Prometheus!

The Constitution is pot-holed.

The Temple of Justice is sullied.

And Civic Will? Destabilized. Ultimately, nonetheless, that last remains – for the most obvious reasons – the enduring repository of collective, inclusive responsibilities, catalyst also in motions to sustain the stability of the Democratic Platform, turning it into a steady plane, so it does not bounce society up and down as on its present trampoline. Civic Will is embedded in the activities of its partners, and Law, we must remind you, is the Authority that regulates their interactions.

You, gathered in this hall, are the disciplined expression of the Civic Will. If you permit this leg to crumble, you bear the sole burden of responsibility for the Fall – not merely of the Temple of Justice, but - of the overarching Temple of - Democracy.

Wole Soyinka •Concluded

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

NEWS Council chair killed in Borno

T

• President Goodluck Jonathan (second left) greeting the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, after his swearing-in at the Presidential Villa, Abuja...yesterday. With them are Vice-President Namadi Sambo (left); Secretary to the Federal Government, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, and others.

PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN

15 killed in Jos religious violence

N

O fewer than 15 people were feared killed yesterday in Jos, the Plateau State capital, in renewed violence between Muslim and Christian groups.

Eyewitnesses said most of the victims were killed by soldiers who shot indiscriminately to prevent a clash between the Muslim and Christian youths.

A resident of Rukuba Road, Kirinson Kabong said: “The soldiers killed at least nine Christian youths when they responded to gun shots from Muslim youths who wanted to worship in the morning.”

Darlington Iro, from Apata said: “I saw the soldiers shooting indiscriminately and killing people.

They killed four in my presence.

You can go there and see the corpses.”

Iro was at the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Jos to report the clash at Rukuba road and Gadabiu, a Christiandominated area of Jos. There were multiple bombs in the area on December 24, last year,

•200 vehicles burnt From Yusufu Aminu Idegu and Marie-Therese Peter, Jos

in which about 90 Christians were killed.

It was gathered that yesterday’s clash was the climax of long-standing threats by Muslims and Christians in the areas.

Some Christian youths in Gadabiu and Rukuba road had allegedly sent word to the Izala Muslim group to look for an alternative praying ground for their Sallah prayer.

The youths were said to have vowed to disallow the Muslims from using their usual praying ground on Rukuba road.

The Izala group reportedly vowed in turn to conduct their prayers at the ground, saying they would not fold their arms if they were attacked.

After getting wind of the threats and counter-threats three days ago, Police Commissioner Emmanuel Ayeni reportedly summoned an

emergency meeting of the state security agencies and religious leaders to discuss how to prevent violence during the Sallah celebration.

After the meeting, the police command issued a statement on the modalities for a peaceful celebration.

The statement, signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Apev Jacop, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), reads: “Plateau State Police Commissioner Emmanuel Ayeni said the command has put in place comprehensive security strategies to ensure peaceful and violence-free Sallah celebrations in Jos...”

When the Izala followers converged for prayers at 8.30am yesterday, the Christian youths reportedly surrounded the praying ground and attacked the congregation.

A distress call from one of them alerted members of the Special Task Force (STF) on Jos crises, who

mobilised their men to the area.

While the worshipers were holding their prayers, the STF was said to be facing a tough battle with the surging youths.

It was gathered that the battle between the soldiers and the youths led to the deaths and the injured among the youths.

The soldiers were said to have faced the battle until about 2pm, when they moved the Izalas from the Christian-dominated area.

But the battle reportedly shifted to the Muslim-dominated areas in Bauchi road and Ali Kazaure.

The government yesterday condemned the clash and urged security agents to curtail the violence.

Commissioner for Information and Communication, Pastor Yiljab Abraham, and the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Pam Ayuba, addressed reporters at the state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

By the time the soldiers evacuated the Izalas from the praying ground, about 200 vehicles belonging to their members had been burnt or vandalised.

WAEC releases conflicting results for May/June exams ANDIDATES who wrote the May/June Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSSCE) of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) are unhappy over the release of two conflicting results for the examination in two many weeks.

WAEC had earlier released results for the school-based examination on its website and again posted another set of results that were different from the first.

This caused panic among candidates who wrote the examination in Niger State.

Many of them rushed to cyber cafes in Minna, the state capital, to cross-check their results. They were shocked when they found new grades posted by their names.

Some of the candidates were credited with the subjects they did not write, while some had their results changed.

One of the victims, a former pupil of Government Secondary

C

•Promises to rectify errors From Jide Orintunsin, Minna and Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

School, Minna, who does not want to be named, said he scored in the first result ‘B’ in two subjects; ‘C’ in six subjects, including English language, and a ‘D’ in Mathematics.

But in the new result printed out last Friday, WAEC posted for him ‘B’ in one subject; ‘C’ in three; ‘D’ in three subjects; ‘E’ and ‘F’ in one subject each.

Unlike the first result, the candidate recorded C5 in English Language and D7 in Mathematics, but in the new result, WAEC posted D7 and F9 for the two subjects.

Another female candidate from Government Girls’ Secondary School, Minna, did not only have her result changed, she was also given grades in two subjects she did not sit for.

Her grades in English Language

and Mathematics were different from the first result.

Parents and candidates at the weekend trooped to the Minna office of the examination body to verify which of the results was authentic.

When our correspondent visited the office of the Branch Controller in Minna yesterday, many candidates were protesting the printout of both results.

The Branch Controller, who refused to disclose his name, directed reporters’ enquiries to the council headquarters in Lagos.

He said he was not competent to speak for the council but admitted that the problem was not limited to Minna or Niger State.

He said: “Please, you may have to go to our headquarters in Lagos. This is not a local problem and there is no Branch Controller in other affected states who can talk

to you over the course of the problem.”

The Branch Controller said the problems had been rectified.

“All I can say is that the problem has been rectified. Candidates can go to cyber cafes and re-check their results. They will discover that what they see on the website now tallies with the initial results released.”

The Head, Public Relations Department, WAEC, Nigeria, Yusuf Ari said: “There is nothing like that here. But I understand that there was a technical problem. I think the results have been deleted from the site. As early as 6am on Friday, WAEC Nigeria Head of National Office, Dr Iyi Uwadiae, was at work with the IT Department and the results have been removed from the website.

“By Thursday, we will have a full picture of what happened and issue a statement.”

HE Borno State Police Command yesterday confirmed the killing of Alhaji Lawan Yarami, Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Kukawa Local Government Area.

Poloice Commissioner Simeon Midenda told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri that Yarami was shot dead by unknown gunmen at his home on Sunday night.

He said: “The killers got information about his coming to Maiduguri so they followed him to his house in the evening.

“They pretended to be his guests and asked for permission to see him.”

The police chief added that the killers opened fire on him immediately.

“It was much after that his neighbours raised the alarm, but the killers had already fled,” Midenda said.

He said the police had started investigation into the killing.

“We are already working on some clues and we believe we will be able to unmask the killers in a very short while, ” Midenda said.

Killings in Maiduguri have an taken alarming dimension even with the heavy presence of military men under the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Operation Restore Order.

Belgore condemns Abuja bombing From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

T

HE Kwara State governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the April 26 poll, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), yesterday condemned the bombing of the United Nations (UN) building in Abuja.

In a statement, Belgore said: “We join all men of goodwill to call for a thorough probe of the dastardly act with a view to unmasking those behind this and prevent a repeat of this monumental loss of lives and property. We implore whoever is behind this serial act of terrorism to desist immediately.

“It is to this extent that we condole with the families of the victims, the Federal Government and indeed the global community.”

Jang decries poor state of federal roads From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

P

LATEAU State Governor Jonah Jang has decried the deplorable state of federal roads. He called for the dualisation of the Jos-Abuja road to reduce accidents.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Pam Ayuba, said Jang spoke at the Vom Christian Hospital, where he sympathised with victims of an accident on the road at the weekend.

Nine persons were said to have died in the accident at Hawan Kibo village.

Deputy Governor Ignatius Longjan, who led a government delegation to sympathise with seven surviving victims at the hospital, delivered Jang’s message.

Ramadan ends

P

RESIDENT, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, last night announced the end of Ramadan.

Muslims are expected to celebrate Eid-el-Fitri today.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

54

NEWS

Jang decries poor state of federal roads P

LATEAU State Governor Jonah Jang has decried the deplorable state of federal roads.

He called for the dualisation of the Jos-Abuja road to reduce accidents.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Pam Ayuba, said Jang spoke at the Vom Christian Hospital, where he sympathised with victims of an accident on the road at the weekend.

Nine persons were said to have died in the accident at Hawan Kibo village.

Deputy Governor Ignatius Longjan, who led a government delegation to sympathise with seven surviving victims at the hospital, delivered Jang’s message.

He said: “The governor was very sad over the development.”

Longjan urged the victims

A

Kwara retirees protest non-payment of severance allowance

K

•Governor visits accident victims From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

to be courageous and believe in God’s healing powers.

The government, he said, was concerned about the state of federal roads, particularly the Riyom Hawan Kibo road, where many people have died.

He said Jang wanted the Federal Government to dualise the road to reduce carnage on it.

Survivors included the COCIN Regional Church Council Chairman of Mangu, Rev Enoch Kudan, 49.

He had left fermural and tibia fracture.

Agwan Jacob, 32, the driver of one of the Hiace buses belonging to Benue Links, had

multiple soft tissue injuries, and fracture in the leg.

Okpe Gabriel, 32, a businessman, lives in Bonori, former Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) headquarters, Maiduguri, Borno State.

She sustained bilateral tibia fracture.

Others are: Asiyo Joseph, 33, a student with the Benue State University who lives at Awe Street, Makurdi.

He had an acute head injury fracture of the right tibia.

John Achi, a civil servant from Makurdi, sustained bilateral femural fracture.

Ankwo Kenneth, a civil servant with Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State, had a bilateral fermural farc-

•Jang ture.

Abubakar Hazinatu, a pupil of Government Secondary School, Doma, Nasarawa State, sustained acute mild closed head injury.

The government delegates also visited the father of the Plateau State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Northern Zone Deputy Chairman, Chief Andrew Bari Ize, whose father, Pa Mangwa Izi Bari, was operated upon.

The government promised to foot the medical bill of the victims.

WARA State local government political office holders from 2007 to 2010 have protested the non-payment of their severance allowances.

They carried placards, one of which read: Enough of empty promises: pay us our severance allowances.

One of them, who sought anonymity, said: “We are here to demand the payment of our severance package. The governor will order them to pay us. We are showing our grievances because we are fed up. The State Security Service (SSS) is aware of it. We wrote them. We have been with them. We have also been to the Police headquarters. We have been fighting this cause since the last dispensation.

“The government promised us that it would pay us.

We went to the then Chair-

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

man of Local Governments, Alhaji Makama, on this issue. The government kept promising us that it would pay us but it has not. We heard that the government paid the commissioners and the special advisers last week, the 2007-2010 sets. It has not paid us our severance package. We came to ask for our entitlement. It is our legitimate right.

“Many of us have even died because of hunger.

One of our colleagues lost his wife because of N20,000. The wife was an expectant mother. The hospital demanded for N60,000. Our member was only able to raise N40,000, remaining N20,000. The wife died because of that.

But thank God, the baby is alive.”

Group petitions Ahmed over land dispute

GROUP, Society of the Two Hearts of Love International, has urged Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to intervene in a lingering land dispute between the group and authorities of Moro Local Government.

The group, which operates within the Catholic Diocese of Ilorin, warned that unless the dispute is resolved soon, it could snowball into a religious face-off.

In a petition by the legal

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

counsel to the church, O. J. Adeseko, the group alleged that the council was attempting to divest the church of its ownership of an expanse of land bought from the council for its humanitarian arm, the Two Hearts of Love International.

The letter, dated August 15 and signed by the counsel, said the group was granted a Customary Right of Occu-

pancy over the land situated at Abati Layout, Oyun, after it paid N840,000 to the council on March 27, 2002.

The group said while it was working on the documentation of the land, the leadership of the council resisted its moves.

It added that the council had appointed a consultant to sell the land.

The petition reads: “Our client, in line with the rule of law principle under the

present political dispensation, had written a petition to Moro Local Government authority, the police and the State Security Services (SSS) in Kwara State to avert any breakdown of law and order that may bring the achievements of the current administration into disrepute.

“Efforts by our client are yielding no positive result as the authority of Moro Local Government, under power intoxication, has vowed to

frustrate our client. Political thugs and/or local miscreants with dangerous weapons have been recruited to chase away the workmen engaged to carry out developmental work on the land.

“Our client, a peace-loving organisation, felt this illegal act is a gross violation of its right to acquire landed property anywhere in Nigeria as provided for under the 1999 Constitution. More so, that it was the same Moro Local

Government that granted our client the land, after due process.

“As part of its efforts to frustrate our client’s title over the land, Moro Local Government authority has applied to the Bureau of Lands, Kwara State, for allocation of the same land, which is in clear violation of the initial allocation of the land to our client by the same authority while the land was under its control.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

55

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

56

MONEY LINK

Standard Bank to invest N150b in bank acquisition

S

TANDARD Bank has said it may use proceeds from the sale of its operations in Argentina and Russia to buy a retail bank in Nigeria.

The fund, estimated at N150.5 billion ($972 million) comprise of $600 million from the sale of Standard Bank Argentina (SBA) to Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Limited (ICBC), the world's biggest lender by market value.

It also includes another $372 million to be realised from proposed sale of its shareholding in Troika Dialog.

Standard Bank will also get an earnout payment of approximately eight per cent of any increase in the value of Troika Dialog as at the end of 2013.

Standard Bank, said it is convinced that Africa, where 221 million consumers will advance from poverty to earn annual incomes of $1,000 to $5,000 by 2015, according McKinsey & Co., should be at the core of its future strategy. “We have a natural competitive advantage in Africa, in connecting Africa to other emerging markets, especially in natural resources. By narrowing our focus, we will be better placed to capitalize on these advantages,” said Ross Linstrom, a spokesman for the Johannesburg-based bank.

She said retail banking in Africa is a long-term strategy, but the bank is hoping that the business will break even in 2012.

Standard Bank Group Limited. said its African strategy may take five years to pay off as the continent’s biggest lender hunts for acquisitions and ditches its ambitions in other emerging markets. “We think there is a three- to five-year period to run before returns in the rest of Africa will be satisfactory,” Linstrom added.

While Standard Bank’s return on equity, a measure of profitability, rose to 14.5 per cent in the first half, from 13.5 percent a year earlier, its operations in 16 African nations outside its home market posted a return of 7 per

By Collins Nweze

cent.

The Chief Executive Officer, Jacko Maree, is reversing his 10- year-old strategy of expanding in emerging markets outside Africa to focus on building the bank’s network on the continent.

While acquisitions in countries such as Nigeria may eventually compensate for an economic slowdown in South Africa, the expansion may devour Standard Bank’s surplus capital of $1 billion and disappoint investors hoping for a bigger dividend.

“Africa has not delivered good returns for Standard and we remain un-

convinced of delivery on this strategy,” said David Danilowitz, an analyst at Nedbank Capital in Johannesburg, who has a “sell” recommendation on the stock.

First-half profit before items from African operations outside of South Africa fell 17 percent to 423 million rand ($59 million) as Standard Bank boosted capital, invested in computer systems and opened branches.

In the first half, Standard Bank had negative returns in local currency terms of 28 percent in Angola, where it invested for the first time and plans five branches by year end. In Kenya, its local return was seven per cent and eight percent in Nigeria, where it’s

aiming for 180 branches by year end.

Opportunity to buy a Nigerian bank came when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, on Friday August 5, revoked licences of three banks- Afribank, BankPHB and Spring Bank.

The action came almost two months ahead of the official deadline of September 30, earlier given them to recapitalise or be liquidated. Following that was the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), which through the ‘Bridge Bank’ mechanism, nationalised and assumed ownership of the banks, under new names and management. The Asset Management

Strauss-Kahn meets IMF staff

F

ORMER International Mon etary Fund (IMF) chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who had sexual-assault charges dismissed in New York last week, was billed to have met IMF staff yesterday at the institution’s Washington headquarters.

Strauss-Kahn, who resigned in May, “has indicated that, on a personal visit to the Fund later today (yesterday), he would like to have the opportunity to say goodbye to staff,” according to an e-mail sent to employees and obtained by Bloomberg. “All staff who would like to do so can meet with him this afternoon.”

The e-mail, which wasn’t signed,

increased capital requirements under so-called Basel III rules. Spain is already pushing lenders to bolster capital, said a spokesman for the Madrid-based Finance Ministry, who declined to be named in line with policy.

The world economy is in a “dangerous new phase” that requires action by governments, Lagarde told international finance officials and economists in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, yesterday. She spoke near the end of a month when the value of global equities dropped by $5.7 trillion on concern global growth is slowing and governments will be unable to tackle sovereign-debt burdens.

Without an “urgent” recapitalisation,

indicated that the meeting would take place from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

IMF spokesman William Murray confirmed that Strauss-Kahn is expected to visit the fund “later today (yesterday)” for a private meeting.

Meanwhile, Germany, Spain and the European Union, have rebuffed International Monetary Fund’s Managing Director, Christine Lagarde’s call for an “urgent,” potentially mandatory, recapitalization of Europe’s banks.

German Finance Ministry spokeswoman, Silke Bruns, said European governments have already taken measures to strengthen banks, including

T

HE Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member states have called for speedy implementation of the commission’s Macroeconomic Convergence, known as ECOMAC, to expedite single monetary union in the region.

A statement from ECOWAS Commission, said series of work-

``Member states, experts and other regional institutions have called on the commission to accelerate the process for the operationalisation of the ECOWAS Macroeconomic Convergence,’’ the statement said.

It said further that the commission reiterated its commitment to the operation of the database to

shops had been held in Lomé, Lagos and Abidjan in 2010 to examine and validate the ECOMAC database to that effect. The Information Officer in the Commission, Uwem Thompson, said in a statement that the methods of data retrieval from each ECOWAS member state were also discussed in the workshop.

Amount N

Rate %

M/Date

3-Year 5-Year 5-Year

35m 35m 35m

11.039 12.23 13.19

19-05-2014 18-05-2016 19-05-2016

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM Amount Amount Offered ($) Demanded ($)

MANAGED FUNDS Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

INTERBANK RATES 7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2011 “ 14-04-2011

GAINERS AS AT 29-8-11 SYMBOL ROADS UPL NCR ECOBANK STERLNBANK OKOMUOIL NASCON PRESCO CAPHOTEL NESTLE

O/PRICE 3.47 3.89 3.93 2.86 1.40 17,01 4.50 7.48 7.60 401.01

C/PRICE 3.64 4.04 4.12 2.99 1.45 17.50 4.60 7.50 7.62 402.00

CHANGE 0.17 0.19 0.19 0.13 0.05 0.49 0.10 0.02 0.02 0.99

LOSER AS AT 29-8-11 SYMBOL DANGCEM DANGFOUR ETERNAOIL SKYEBANK ACCESS VITAFOAM TRANSCORP CCNN AIICO PAINTCOM

O/PRICE 111.11 10.64 4.47 5.70 5.85 6.00 0.89 7.70 0.68 1.17

facilitate macroeconomic activities of the member states. The ECOMAC database is expected to be launched in July. The database will focus on generalities and country-specific guides which were developed to address challenges in each of the member states.

DATA BANK

Tenor

OBB Rate Call Rate

“we could easily see the further spread of economic weakness to core countries, or even a debilitating liquidity crisis. Recapitalization should be “substantial” and a mandatory move would be “the most efficient solution,” Lagarde told Bloomberg.

EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said European lenders are “moving forward” in their efforts to boost capital.

“EU banks are significantly better capitalized now than they were one year ago,” Rehn told a European Parliament committee today in Brussels. “As the necessary recapitalization of EU banks proceeds, we expect their funding conditions to improve.”

ECOWAS to hasten single monetary plan

FGN BONDS

NIDF NESF

Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), the new owner, is to manage them for the next two-to-three years, until new investors are found.

To consolidate its position, AMCON in turn, injected N679 billion into the banks, to bring them to right capital adequacy level after changing their brand names to Mainstreet Bank (Afribank), Keystone Bank (Bank PHB) and Enterprise Bank (Spring Bank).

The CBN action was a follow up to the action it took in August 14, 2009 when Sanusi removed the Managing Directors/CEOs of eight rescued banks following its special audit of the sector which showed weaknesses in the banks’ capital bases

C/PRICE 105.56 10.11 4.25 5.42 5.57 5.72 0.85 7.36 0.65 1.12

CHANGE 5.55 0.53 0.22 0.28 0.28 0.28 0.04 0.34 0.03 0.05

Amount Sold ($)

Exchange Rate (N)

Date

450m

452.7m

450m

150.8

08-8-11

250m

313.5m

250m

150.8

03-8-11

400m

443m

400m

150.7

01-8-11

EXHANGE RATE 30-05-11 CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Currency

Year Start Offer

Current Before

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

NGN USD NGN GBP

147.6000 239.4810

149.7100 244.0123

150.7100 245.6422

-2.11 -2.57

NGN EUR

212.4997

207.9023

209.2910

-1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

Bureau de Change 152.0000

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

(S/N) Parallel Market

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

NSE CAP Index

NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N)

12-08-11 N7.285tr 22,775.55

15-08-11 N7.216tr 22,559.07

% Change -0.95% -0.95%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

(S/N)

153.0000

DISCOUNT WINDOW January ’11

February ’11

July ’11

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

8.75%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate Inflation Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 10.2%

Offer Price

Bid Price

9.17 1.00 117.62 112.11 0.78 1.01 0.97 1,620.90 9.61 1.39 1.87 8,827.74 193.00

9.08 1.00 117.16 111.16 0.78 1.00 0.97 1,618.90 9.14 1.33 1.80 8,557.73 191.08

ARM AGGRESSIVE KAKAWA GUARANTEED STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND THE LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL BGL SAPPHIRE FUND BGL NUBIAN FUND NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY THE DISCOVERY FUND • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED • STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

Rate (Previous) 04 MAR, 2011 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Rate (Currency) 24, MAY, 2011 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK Previous

Current

04 MAR, 2011

07, MAR, 2011

Bank

8.5000

8.5000

P/Court

8.0833

8.0833

Movement

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

57

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 29-08-11 2ND-TIER SECURITIES Company Name UNION VENTURES & PETROLEUM PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 3 3

Quotation(N) 0.63

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 70,000,000 44,100,000.00 70,000,000 44,100,000.00

AGRICULTURE/AGRO-ALLIED Company Name FTN COCOA PROCESSORS PLC LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC PRESCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 3 1 11 15

Quotation(N) 0.50 0.50 7.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 65,000 32,500.00 5,000 2,500.00 268,600 2,029,678.00 338,600 2,064,678.00

Quotation(N) 6.70

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 87,635 597,103.74 87,635 597,103.74

Quotation(N) 1.31

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 192,185 252,268.75 192,185 252,268.75

Quotation(N) 5.57 4.00 2.99 5.29 2.00 10.66 0.50 12.54 9.18 0.70 1.15 5.42 1.45 4.11 2.09 0.57 0.76 12.02

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 7,205,949 41,390,746.61 9,553,593 38,221,728.26 278,021 780,348.03 773,987 4,129,187.30 11,707,243 23,974,081.20 7,321,135 78,021,927.42 38,194 19,097.00 8,212,825 103,483,799.82 728,800 6,760,607.50 3,125,940 2,188,158.00 4,055,202 4,663,482.30 4,042,141 22,055,750.01 2,355,253 3,196,231.17 3,498,413 14,608,968.71 55,336 115,652.24 1,876,366 1,045,693.00 743,102 566,959.56 5,342,759 64,525,430.85 70,914,259 409,747,848.98

Quotation(N) 215.00 82.00

Quantity Traded Value 177,886 687,972 865,858

Quotation(N) 19.58 7.36 105.56 41.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 42,938 837,822.13 410,124 3,062,509.12 485,951 51,301,527.56 139,086 5,691,706.00 1,078,099 60,893,564.81

Quotation(N) 9.90 26.51 10.53 1.12

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 14,910 142,219.00 67,537 1,799,447.39 200 2,002.00 50,000 56,000.00 132,647 1,999,668.39

AIR SERVICES Company Name NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 29 29

AUTOMOBILE & TYRE Company Name R. T. BRISCOE (NIGERIA) PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 13 13 BANKING

Company Name ACCESS BANK PLC DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK NIGERIA PLC FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC FIDELITY BANK PLC FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA PLC FINBANK PLC GTBANK PLC STANBIC IBTC BANK PLC INTERCONTINENTAL BANK PLC. OCEANIC BANK INTERNATIONAL PLC SKYE BANK PLC. STERLING BANK PLC UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC. UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC UNITYBANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC ZENITH BANK PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 125 111 34 45 77 437 3 438 40 13 18 113 26 175 13 29 20 222 1,939 BREWERIES

Company Name GUINNESS NIGERIA PLC NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 63 96 159

of Shares (N) 38,341,823.35 56,130,940.28 94,472,763.63

BUILDING MATERIALS Company Name ASHAKA CEMENT PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTHERN NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC LAFARGE WAPCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 19 20 23 22 84

Proposed mergers: NSE to delist six banks T

HE Nigerian Stock Ex change (NSE) might delist six banks due to the ongoing consolidation in the banking industry.

Intercontinental Bank Plc yesterday formally notified the Exchange of the closure date for the register of members for its court-ordered general meeting as it rounds off the process of its business combination with Access Bank.

Three quoted banks including Intercontinental Bank, Finbank and Oceanic Bank are expected to be acquired by three other quoted banks, which would lead to delisting of the three acquired banks.

According to the formal notice to the NSE, the closing of book is to enable the bank update the register for the purpose of attendance of its court ordered meeting billed for September 26, 2011.

The meeting is expected to approve resolutions on the bank’s share capital as well as proposed merger with Access Bank Plc. Earlier in the month, after the CBN pronouncement of the nationalisation of the three banks, the NSE said it will delist the three nation-

No of Deals 3 24 1 1 29

COMMERCIAL/SERVICES Company Name COURTVILLE INVESTMENTS PLC RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 4 5

Quotation(N) 0.50 2.78

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 10,000 5,000.00 40,000 106,000.00 50,000 111,000.00

COMPUTER & OFFICE EQUIPMENT Company Name NCR (NIGERIA) PLC. Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1

Quotation(N) 4.12

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 52,000 214,240.00 52,000 214,240.00

CONGLOMERATES Company Name PZ CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC UAC OF NIGERIA PLC UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 31 14 37 44 126

Quotation(N) 30.00 0.85 39.00 28.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 277,479 8,352,359.90 1,602,682 1,364,499.70 123,994 4,803,619.85 253,284 7,035,897.57 2,257,439 21,556,377.02

Quotation(N) 55.11 3.64

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 37,482 1,965,330.80 50,400 183,456.00 87,882 2,148,786.80

alised banks including Afribank, Bank PHB and Spring Bank from its daily official list.

The nationalisation of the three banks has erased about N30 billion from the market capitalisation of the NSE. Meanwhile, market operators have said that the drop in equities will continue with the ongoing mergers of the rescued banks as the number of banks will gradually reduced to 15 on the floor of the Exchange.

With the proposed merger, FCMB is swallowing Fin Bank, Ecobank is taking over Oceanic Bank while Sterling Bank will accommodate Equatorial Trust Bank that was never listed.

Other banking stocks on the floor will be Union Bank, Diamond Bank, Fidelity Bank, First Bank, Guaranty Truth Bank, Skye Bank, UBA, Unity Bank, Wema Bank and Zenith Bank.

Meanwhile, the downtrend at the NSE continued yesterday with the market capitalisation and All-Share-Index losing 2.18 per cent respectively. The market

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

CHEMICAL & PAINTS Company Name BERGER PAINTS NIGERIA PLC CHEMICAL AND ALLIED PRODUCTS PLC NIGERIAN-GERMAN CHEMICALS PLC PAINTS AND COATINGS MANUFACTURES PLC Sector Totals

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 29-08-11 LAW UNION AND ROCK INSURANCE PLC. LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC N.E.M. INSURANCE CO. (NIG.) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. PRESTIGE ASSURANCE PLC. REGENCY ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC UNIC INSURANCE PLC. UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC INTERCONTINENTAL WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 9 2 11

No of Deals 6 6

No of Deals 14 52 16 33 58 7 34 38 2 1 7 262

Quotation(N) 2.18

No of Deals 1 6 5 1 6 7 1 27

Quotation(N) 45.00 16.96 10.11 11.30 80.00 4.40 4.60 402.00 22.61 0.50 0.57

Quantity Traded Value 5,039 269,609 516,320 548,931 282,365 24,400 598,500 84,662 1,270 2,000 100,000 2,433,096

of Shares (N) 222,868.46 4,496,748.34 5,219,995.20 6,228,411.60 22,541,014.60 101,992.00 2,776,719.00 34,046,541.16 28,702.00 1,000.00 55,000.00 75,718,992.36

Quotation(N) 0.98 1.75 27.00 4.00 1.47 3.87 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 2,500 2,350.00 44,914 75,726.38 31,245 844,857.50 4,000 15,200.00 50,000 70,000.00 150,000 609,000.00 5,000 2,500.00 287,659 1,619,633.88

HOTEL & TOURISM Company Name CAPITAL HOTEL PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 6 6

Quotation(N) 7.62

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 71,789 547,032.18 71,789 547,032.18

INDUSTRIAL/DOMESTIC PRODUCTS Company Name B. O. C. GASES NIGERIA PLC VITAFOAM NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 4 21 25

Quotation(N) 7.45 5.72

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 2,856 20,277.60 178,700 1,030,492.00 181,556 1,050,769.60

INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY Company Name CHAMS PLC STARCOMMS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 13 14

Quotation(N) 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 20,000 10,000.00 2,502,900 1,251,450.00 2,522,900 1,261,450.00

Quotation(N) 0.65 1.02 2.65 0.50 1.09 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,073,133 704,745.47 1,175,512 1,205,102.24 12,571 33,313.15 547,100 273,550.00 5,400 6,156.00 6,120 3,060.00 50,000 25,000.00

INSURANCE Company Name AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INSURANCE PLC GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC GUARANTY TRUST ASSURANCE PLC CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC LASACO ASSURANCE PLC.

No of Deals 35 8 2 6 3 1 6

112,522.80 2,500.00 4,040.00 543,500.00 1,000.00 231,887.70 100.00 65,750.00 12,500.00 800.00 8,569.50 3,234,096.86

No of Deals 54 54

Quotation(N) 1.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 2,230,695 2,139,571.05 2,230,695 2,139,571.05

Company Name AFROMEDIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 6 6

Quotation(N) 0.51

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 46,011 23,465.61 46,011 23,465.61

MEDIA

Company Name ASO SAVINGS AND LOAND PLC RESORT SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC UNION HOMES SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1 4 6

Quotation(N) 0.50 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,000 500.00 40,000 20,000.00 105,327 52,663.50 146,327 73,163.50

OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 124,250 267,940.00 124,250 267,940.00

HEALTHCARE Company Name EVANS MEDICALPLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXOSMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC PHARMA-DEKO PLC UNION DIAGNOSTIC & CLINICAL SERVICES PLC Sector Totals

216,390 5,000 8,080 1,087,000 2,000 140,538 200 131,500 25,000 1,600 17,139 4,504,283

MORTGAGE COMPANIES

FOOD/BEVERAGES & TOBACCO Company Name 7-UP BOTTLING CO. PLC CADBURY NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIGERIA PLC HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NATIONAL SALT COMPANY NIGERIA PLC NESTLE NIGERIA PLC NORTHERN NIGERIA FLOUR MILLS PLC TANTALIZERS PLC UTC NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

0.52 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.65 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.51

MARITIME

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Company Name CUTIX PLC Sector Totals

6 1 2 7 1 1 1 5 5 1 1 92

Company Name JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Sector Totals

CONSTRUCTION Company Name JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC ROADS NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

opened the week with a drop of N153 billion to close at N6.877 trillion and 479.26 points to close at 21,497.61 points.

According to GTI stockbrokers, the market now maintains a 7-days losing streak. In the process it had shed a total value of N392.3 billion, which translates to an average loss of N56 billion in a single day.

Bearish stock dominated market’s trade log by 67.5 per cent, 41.9 per cent and 73.3 per cent of total transacted deals, volume and value respectively.

The dips in the market’s indicators were heightened by value losses in the following blue chip stocks; First Bank, Zenith Bank, Dangote Cement, Diamond Bank, Fidelity Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank and Nigerian Breweries.

Total volume of shares transacted yesterday dropped considerably to 161.67 million valued at N760.52 billion in 3,220 deals as against 536.87 million shares worth N1.62 billion exchanged in 3,440 deals posted last Friday. Dips in volume and value represented 232 per cent and 53 per cent respectively

Company Name DEAP CAPITAL MANAGEMENT AND TRUST PLC ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 3 5

Quotation(N) 2.02 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 123,750 249,975.00 14,917 7,744.34 138,667 257,719.34

Quotation(N) 1.98

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 307,441 611,291.24 307,441 611,291.24

PACKAGING Company Name NIGERIAN BAG MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 28 28

PETROLEUM(MARKETING) Company Name BECO PETROLEUM PRODUCT PLC MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC CONOIL PLC ETERNA OIL & GAS PLC. FORTE OIL PLC MOBIL OIL NIGERIA PLC. OANDO PLC TOTAL NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 3 11 13 18 7 8 144 12 216

Quotation(N) 0.50 63.86 34.36 4.25 17.41 148.00 28.75 203.32

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 110,000 55,000.00 44,286 2,815,197.13 4,250 146,195.98 657,532 2,798,471.00 6,826 112,902.04 1,726 252,956.00 755,877 21,392,697.54 3,112 620,193.60 1,583,609 28,193,613.29

PRINTING & PUBLISHING Company Name UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 31 31

Quotation(N) 4.08

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 640,789 2,456,602.81 640,789 2,456,602.81

Quotation(N) 19.69

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 12,500 245,250.00 12,500 245,250.00

REAL ESTATE Company Name UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST Company Name SKYE SHELTER FUND Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1

Quotation(N) 100.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,000 100,000.00 1,000 100,000.00

ROAD TRANSPORTATION Company Name ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 3 3

Quotation(N) 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 50,000 25,000.00 50,000 25,000.00

Quotation(N) 0.58

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 50,784 28,439.04 50,784 28,439.04

TEXTILES Company Name UNITED NIGERIAN TEXTILES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 3 3

THE FOREIGN LISTINGS Company Name ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED Sector Totals Overall Totals

No of Deals 15 15

Quotation(N) 13.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 77,410 1,008,124.10 77,410 1,008,124.10

3,215

161,467,370

757,020,454.98

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

58

FOREIGN NEWS

Landslides kill 24 in Uganda

Syrian town of Rastan ‘surrounded by tanks’

S

YRIAN tanks and armoured vehicles have surrounded the town of Rastan, north of Homs, which has been the site of antiregime dissent, activists say.

In separate operations in the capital and in the northern province of Idlib, at least six people were reportedly killed.

Meanwhile, the opposition has announced a council to lead the uprising.

The United Nations says more than 2,200 people have died since protests against President Bashar al-Assad began in March.

One of the most influential Sunni clerics, the Sheikh of AlAzhar in Cairo, has condemned attacks on protesters taking refuge in mosques.

He said the aggressors would be punished in this world and the next.

In Rastan, residents reported heavy machine-gun fire by security forces at the entrance to the town.

Rastan has been caught up

in the protests taking place across the country and correspondents say that dissent has continued there despite harsh repression.

“The tanks deployed at both banks of the highway, which remained open, and fired long bursts from their machine guns at Rastan,” one resident told Reuters news agency by phone.

Unconfirmed reports from activists say the latest move was prompted by defections among Syrian troops in the area, the agency reports.

Yesterday’s fighting has caused many of the town’s inhabitants to flee.

Most foreign journalists have been barred from Syria, making it difficult to verify reports from the country.

Further to the north-west, tanks and troops are reported to have stormed the town of Sarmin, in Idlib province, taking up positions in the central market and firing randomly to keep people off the streets,

according to the Londonbased Observatory for Human Rights.

It said at least five people, including a child, had been killed, and that more than 60 were wounded.

One person died in another raid involving armoured vehicles on Qara, a suburb of the capital, Damascus. About 40 people were arrested there, the group said.

Other attacks were reported near Deir ez-Zor in the east, and around Heet near the Lebanese border in the west. The operation in Heet reportedly sent many civilians fleeing over the border.

Meanwhile, Syrian opposition leaders meeting in the Turkish capital, Ankara, have announced the formation of a Transitional National Council to provide political leadership for the uprising, reports the BBC’s Jim Muir in Beirut.

The council will be made up of 94 members, including some leaders still inside Syr-

A

•Syrian President Assad

ia and others outside.

It seems to be the most serious attempt so far to unite the opposition on a single platform, but it remains to be seen whether it will gain universal acceptance by all strands of the opposition, especially the activists on the ground, our correspondent adds.

Syria has come under increasing international pressure to end attacks on protesters.

T least 24 people have died after torrential rains triggered landslides in eastern Uganda, Red Cross workers say.

Residents fear 35 people may have been killed in Bulambuli district, but only 24 bodies have been recovered so far.

The village of Namwidisi has reportedly been completely submerged in mud.

Last year, hundreds died in a similar incident nearby.

Officials said then they would relocate up to half a million people to avoid any repeat.

However, following some local opposition to the plans only a few thousand - those deemed most at risk - were actually moved.

The Minister of State for Relief Disaster Preparedness, Musa Ecweru, said the government planned to push

ahead with relocations to avoid more deaths.

“The government plans to procure land every year to relocate people who find themselves in this kind of situation,” Mr Ecweru said.

Red Cross workers and villagers are digging in the mud hoping to find survivors and retrieve bodies in the area 270km (167 miles) north-east of the capital, Kampala.

A local chief, his wife and all of his eight children were killed, reported the Daily Monitor, a leading independent Ugandan newspaper.

Several roads in the region have been cut after heavy rains over the past month.

Following last year’s disaster on the slopes of Mount Elgon, it was said that rapid population growth had led people to cut down trees on the mountains, making mudslides and flooding more common.

France condemns Abuja UN office bomb attack

F

RANCE has condemned the last Friday bomb explosion at the United Nations Building in Abuja in which many people lost their lives and several were injured.

In a statement by the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Alain Juppe

said: “France condemns this heinous crime and cowardly act”.

While condoling with the Nigerian people and the bereaved families, the minister reaffirms France’s commitment to the United Nations agencies and its

personnel.

He also assured the Nigerian government of his country support in its fight against terrorism.

“I extend my condolences to the UN Secretary General and the UN personnel”, the minister said.

US begins clearing up after storm

T

HE United States has begun clearing up after the impact of Tropical Storm Irene, which has killed as many as 28 people.

The storm is now soaking Canada’s north-east, while the north-eastern US is battling historic floods; five million US homes have lost power.

In New York, which escaped a major disaster, transport resumed yesterday.

The small state of Vermont was reeling from the worst flooding in nearly a century, which washed away bridges and swamped the town of Brattleboro.

“We prepared for the worst and we got the worst in central and southern Vermont,” Governor Peter Shumlin said on Monday.

“We have extraordinary infrastructure damage.”

Hundreds of people have been told to leave the state capital, Montpelier, which could face two inundations: firstly from Irene, and again if the local water company decides to release water to save the Marshal Reservoir, a local dam where waters are reaching record levels.

Flooding in Vermont is the worst since 1927, according to officials A woman was swept away by an overflowing river in the Vermont town of Wilmington.

Authorities asked people to avoid travelling in the state, and warned of significant flooding, damaged roads and downed power lines.

State office buildings, schools and universities were shut on Monday.

“It’s very serious for us at the moment in Vermont. The top two-thirds of the state are inundated with rapidly rising waters, which we anticipate will be an issue for the next 24 hours,” said Robert Stirewalt, a spokesman for Vermont Emergency Management Agency.

Authorities said the hurricane was the worst natural disaster since a terrible flood in 1927.

President Barack Obama has warned that the impact of the storm will be felt for some time and that the recovery effort along the east coast will last for weeks.

We have, with no regrets, waved goodbye to Irene.

Very sadly, lives were lost.

Little matters more than that.

But the feared devastation did not happen. Neither buildings nor reputations were toppled” Flooding and power cuts are still a risk as swollen rivers could burst their banks, he said on Sunday.

The brunt of Irene’s impact was felt by towns and suburbs

from New Jersey to Vermont.

Driving rains and flood tides damaged homes and cut power to more than three million people in New Jersey, Connecticut and New York alone.

Yesterday, Governor of Connecticut Daniel Malloy said that in his state more homes were currently without power as a result of the storm than at any other time in the state’s history.

In many areas electricity will not be restored for the rest of the week, Mr Malloy said.

As the east coast states began the long clean-up, at least 28 people were reported to be been killed at the weekend during the storm, by falling trees, ocean waves, downed power lines and raging floods.

President Obama: “The impact of the storm will last for some time” The BBC’s Steve Kingstone in New York said insurance and rebuilding costs would run into billions of dollars.

As it moved north-east, Irene was earlier downgraded to a tropical storm and then a post-tropical cyclone.

In its last major update, at 03:00 GMT (23:00 EDT on Sunday night), Irene was moving north-north-east at a speed of 26mph (43km/h), the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Obama appoints Alan Krueger chief economist

U

NITED States President Barack Obama has nominated Alan Krueger, a Princeton University expert on unemployment, as his new chief economist.

The decision comes as the president prepares to unveil a new jobs package in a speech planned for shortly after the Labor Day holiday on 5 September.

High unemployment remains one of the main concerns about the US economy, with the rate standing at 9.1%.

Mr Krueger was previously a Treasury Department economist from 2009-2010.

If confirmed by the Senate, he will become the Obama administration’s third

chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in as many years.

Christina Romer served in the post from 2009-2010 and was followed by Austan Goolsbee. Both resigned after a year in the job to return to academia.

President Obama said: “As one of this country’s leading economists, Alan has been a key voice on a vast array of economic issues for more than two decades.

“Alan understands the difficult challenges our country faces, and I have confidence that he will help us meet those challenges as one of the leaders on my economic team.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

59

NEWS Varsity to expel election riggers

‘Why I abandoned my wife, triplets’

V

ICE-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, (FUTO), Owerri, Prof. Cyril Asiabaka has threatened to expel any member of the Independent Student Electoral Commission (ISIEC) who rigs the (SUG) election.

Asiabaka spoke yesterday in his office while inaugurating the electoral body for the September 9 Student Union Government (SUG) Election.

Describing the election as important to the management, the Vice- Chancellor said he desires student leaders would work in tandem with his vi-

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ENUE STATE BORN Francis Ochayi absconded shortly after his wife, Janet, was delivered of triplets, leaving his wife to cater for them alone.

At the Somolu General Hospital in Lagos, where they were born, the babies have been discharged, yet Ochayi did not show up.

An earlier visit to the hospital by The Nation showed that one of the three boys was in critical condition, breathing with the aid of oxygen. The other two were recuperating from an infection attributed to the unconducive environment theylive in.

The doctors, who treated the triplets, confirmed that they were treated from an infection caused by poor environment they live. Following the development, The Nation spoke with Ochayion phone to find out why he abandoned his wife and babies. The 30-yearold Ochayi said: “I ran away from home because I did not have money to take care of the babies. I am an ordinary bus driver and apparently I am an applicant. I did not bargain for these numbers of children, including Junior ( his first child).

“The load is too much for me to bear. Before the birth of the triplets, my landlord had given me a quit notice. He told me his son would use the room. At the moment , I don’t even have money to feed my family, let alone having money to rent another apartment.”

Continuing, he said: “You’re asking me why I am running away, of what use is my staying around them when there’s nothing I can do to help.

Imagine, I went to see the landlord to give me some time to pay his money but he said he does not even need my money again. So, where do I start from?”

The 24-year-old Janet, who is also an applicant, has accepted the reality of taking care of these children alone. She worked as a cleaner in an organisation on the Lagos Island

A

CHANGE OF NAME OGUNTAYO

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Irabor Virginia, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Eghaghe Erabor Virginia. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

FOR SALE 5.1mw generator (only used once in emergency blackout) Suitable for-International Airports, Communities/State, hospitals, offshore, terminals, oil and gas bases-and industrial facilities.

Call or send Email FOR DETAILS. Contact: bexintl@aol.com, ezeotah@yahoo.com CALL: 07038166932, 07083065235, 08152310433.

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE NEW COVENANT BAPTIST CHURCH,OJOKORO, LAGOS The general public is hereby notified that the above named church has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

Members of the Board of Trustees are: 1) Rev. Stephen Olaniran Bolarinwa - Church Pastor 2) Dn. Vincent Johnson - Deaconate Secretary 3) Dn. Gabriel Toye Afolabi - Chairman Finance Committee 4) Mr. Samuel Okiemute Okiokpa - House Fellowship Coordinator 5) Mr. Olayinka Oyegbile - Church Treasurer 6) Mama Felicia Gbemisola Akinola - WMU Executive 7) Mama Agnes Adewale Adekoje - WMU Executive

•Mrs. Ochayi with her triplet

By Innocent Amomoh and Adejo David

some years back. However, she voluntarily resigned the appointment due to the stress of combining motherhood with office work.

She said: “In fact, I have been advised not to breastfeed the three of them at the same time. I need to alternate with baby food and I don’t even have the money to buy the food. I have to feed well myself to be able to breast feed

them too. Thank God for my neighbour (Mrs. Bada), she has been very supportive. The hospital management has been very supportive too.”

Head of Administration/ Personnel, Ogboye Omobolanle, said the hospital is aware of the predicament that has befallen the mother of four.

We are still expecting response from the companies after we sent letters out to help alleviate the suffering of this family. There were other efforts we made, but succor is

yet to come their way. Please, we will appreciate what any one of you can do to help this family.

“The management had to write off the bill for the delivery when we discovered that they could not pay. So, on our part, we have been assisting them,” she said.

The couple hails from Okoh in Ogbadibo Local Government of Benue State. They are calling on public spirited individuals and corporate organisations to help save the onemonth- old children .

AIMS/OBJECTIVES * To preach the word of God * To meet regularly as a body of believer in worship and praise of true god and creator, Redeemer and Lord * To foster love within Christian fellowship in all ramifications * To support education, health and other good causes.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the office of the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Crescent, Maitama, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Rev Stephen Olaniran Bolarinwa

28 MASSOB members get freedom

N Onitsha Magistrate’s Court presided over by Chief Magistrate Ngozi Okoye yesterday discharged and acquitted 28 members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the National Director of Information, Comrade Uchenna Madu, who were arrested last week on their way to Enugu.

From Adimike George, Onitsha

Their freedom elicited jubilation as other members of MASSOB danced round the court premises.

The 28 MASSOB members, who were remanded on Friday when the case was mentioned initially by the same court, were arraigned on a one-count charge of

waging war against the state.

The matter was adjourned till September 5. But in a dramatic twist, the matter was called up yesterday.

An officer in the Legal Department of the Nigeria Police, Adams Saleh, made an application for the case to be struck out.

Also in their submission, four MASSOB counsel, C.O. Odimgbe, Destiny Nnagbo,

O.I. Onoiribhalo and C.O. Ugo said they were innocent of the offence as they were armless youths that did not commit any offence.

After hearing from both sides, the magistrate warned the MASSOB members to be of good behaviour and avoid illegal acts capable of bringing them to ridicule.

She discharged an acquitted them without any fine.

Anambra North pleads for Igbeke to be sworn in

T

From Emma Mgbeahurike, Owerri sion.

He urged them to shun monetary inducements from the contestants.

Asiabaka advised the electoral body to ensure free, fair and transparent election.

HE indigenes of Anambra North Senatorial District of Anambra State have called on President Goodluck Jonathan to prevail on the leadership of the Senate to swear in their representative at the Senate, Alphonsus Igbeke.

They threatened to storm the Senate and participate in the proceedings if nothing was done after two weeks.

Leader of the group and former Chairman of Onitsha Markets Amalgamated Traders Association (OMATA)Ozo Anaekwe, who was accompanied by other stakeholders from the zone to receive Igbeke, also called on the Senate President David Mark to swear in Igbeke.

He decried the vacuum in the senatorial district,describing it as injustice to Ndigbo and warned that if Igbeke is not sworn-in after two weeks, the people from the zone would storm the National Assembly to participate in the Senate proceedings.

He described as unconstitutional the continuous delay of his swearing-in as a Senator representing Anambra North

From Adimike George, Onitsha

by the leadership of the Senate, adding that as it stands now nobody is representing them in the Senate.

Igbeke also decried the development, saying it is injustice against him, Anambra North, Ndigbo and all people of good conscience.

Igbeke said: “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of NIgeria does not provide a vacuum. It is a mandatory position of the law that a candidate who won an election and issued a certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), should be sworn in.”

Igbeke said INEC issued him a Certificate of Return following a court jugement, which he won. But it later wrote a “fraudulent letter” to the leadership of the Senate, saying the certificate was issued without regard to the Notice of Appeal and stay of execution on the matter.

Igbeke said the letter was incredibly honoured by the leadership of the National Assembly.

PUBLIC NOTICE MBORO/AJANYIM LANDOWNERS ASSOCIATION. The general public is hereby notified that the above named Association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

The Trustees Are:1. Mazi M.O. Okafor - Chairman 3. Ajah Chukwu Ajah 5. Benjamin Chukwueke 7. Charles Orieji 9. Francis Ogboke 11. Paulinus Madu

2. Chief Martin Onu Vice Chairman 4. Eze Okoro Ude 6. Paul N. Agu - Secretary 8. Amobi Ajah 10. Peter Nweni - Treasurer 12. Lucy Okoro

Aims/Objectives 1. To request, negotiate and receive royalties, benefits and all other rights accruing to the landlords from quarry operating companies.

2. To distribute same to the landowners 3. To protect their territory from interference from any quarters 4. To seek welfare of the village and members Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the office of the Registrar – General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Crescent , Miatama Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Mazi M.O. Okafor Chairman

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

60

RAMADAN NEWS SALLAH DAY

N

IGERIAN leaders have been congratulating Muslims on the occasion of the Eid-ilFitr celebrations.

The festival marks the termination of theone month-long fasting.

Among those who have sent congratulatory messages are Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, his Kaduna, Enugu, Abia states counterparts, Patrick Yakowa; Sullivan Chime and Chief Theodore Orji respectively; Acting Governor of Niger State, Hon Ahmed Musa Ibeto and former governor of Lagos State and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. They all called on Nigerians to use the occassion of the Muslim Eid-il-fitri to re-discover the Nigerian community.

Oshiomhole in a message by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Peter Okhiria, urged all faithful to imbibe the teachings of Islam, which are charity and compassion for fellow humans.

“While I rejoice with all Islamic faithful, I wish to remind them, and indeed all Nigerians, that together, we have a duty to ourselves, our people and our nation to toe the line of peace with all men and imbibe the teachings of Islam.

“As we celebrate the end of fasting and thank Allah for the help and strength given to all faithful in the month of Ramadan, the lessons of the month: chastity, charity, compassion and self-denial, should not be lost in the celebration as it should reflect in our daily dealings with all men of different faith and persuasion.

“I wish all faithful Happy Eid,” he said.

Yakowa yesterday asked residents of the state especially Muslims to pray for continued peace and security in the state saying that the government was poised to lead the people by example.

The governor said in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Reuben Buhari that “as embodied by Prophet Muhammed, let us use this occasion to extend hands of friendship, peace and harmony to the people of other faiths as practiced by the Holy Prophet, to whom the Holy Qur’an was revealed.

“It is also time to put our state in focus and pray for greater attention to positive attributes that bind us together as a people, devoid of sentiments and unhealthy rivalry, as Islam preaches peace.

“Let us use the occasion of today for spiritual and moral rebirth as Ramadan embodies. Let us pray for the unity, progress and development of our state. Even though the challenges of leadership, followership and state building are daunt-

Oshiomhole, Tinubu, Yakowa, Chime, others seek religious tolerance

•Oshiomhole

•Tinubu

•Yakowa

•Chime

By Tajudeen Adebanjo, Bukola Amusan, Abuja and Jide Orintunsin, Minna

According to the governor peace is essential to the development of any nation and as such no effort should be spared to ensure that peace prevails.

He urged Muslims to “pray for the peace of the nation, pray for their leaders that they achieve their goals for the good of the electorates.”

The Abia state helmsman assured the Muslim community in the state of their safety before, during and after the celebration.

Ibeto in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mallam Danladi Ndayebo, tasked Muslims and non Muslims alike to continue to uphold the ideals of piety, patience, tolerance, perseverance, humility and self denial which were observed vigorously during the month of Ramadan.

He charged faithful grateful to Almighty Allah for being alive to witness the Eid-il-Fitr, noting that some people are not alive to witness the beginning of the holy month while some other people who witnessed the beginning but are not alive to witness its end.

The Acting Governor also used the opportunity to reiterate government’s commitment to service to humanity, just as he called on all Nigerlites to support the state’s vision of becoming one of the three most developed state economies in Nigeria by the year 2020.

Asiwaju Tinubu also in a release by his Chief Press Secretary, Olakunle Abimbola, urged Nigerians, in the spirit of the season, to show love to one another, so as to tide the country over its present troubles and tribulations.

“With the successful completion of the Ramadan fast, it is time Nigerians came together as one family and as one community to actualise the dreams of our founding fathers,” he said.

The Jagaban Borgu said though every country has its ups and downs, it is bonding through love and togetherness that pulls each country out of its difficult moments.

The former governor seized the opportunity to commiserate with the global United Nations family, over the bomb blast in its Abuja, Nigeria office, as well as with President Goodluck Jonathan, the government and people of Nigeria.

“I wish to condole with the UN family in Nigeria and others who lost loved ones and colleagues to that condemnable bombing. May God forgive and accept the souls of the dead. But may God also give us, the living, the courage to realise that violence does not solve any problem.

If anything, it escalates problems,” he said.

Calling on security agencies to go after and apprehend those behind the dastardly blast, Tinubu said it was time Nigerians stood as one people to roll back the threat of terrorism.

“Our homeland must not be turned into a terrorists’ enclave.

Everyone must unite to achieve that goal,” he pleaded.

Minister of FCT, Senator Bola Mohammed remarked that the holy month of Ramadan is an inspiration to Muslims to show compassion, mercy and kindness to their fellow brothers and advised that they should not miss this opportunity to put a smile on the faces of others by

being their brother’s keeper.

The Minister urged Muslims to use the occasion to reflect on the lessons learnt during the month and continue to imbibe its teachings which are primarily premised on selflessness, sacrifice, patience, modesty and spirituality.

He enjoined Muslims to pray for the nation as it strives to become one of the best 20 developed countries of the World.

He also called for prayers for the success of the country’s leadership under President Goodluck Jonathan for Allah to continue to guide, protect and give him the wisdom to steer the affairs of the state and actualise the transformation agenda.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) asked Nigerians to use the sallah celebration to embrace reconciliation and peaceful cooexistence for the overall development of the country the security of lives and property of Nigerians.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Anthony Sani, prayed that the “sacrifices during the fasting period spur all Muslims, particularly in Nigeria, to slough off any negative habits in favour of embracing the piety that are well espoused

by Islam and other faiths.

“All religions, including Islam, preach peace and tolerance or forbearance, as well as relative pluralism and sacred inviolability of the individual. Islam and other religions also teach sense of what is right and what is wrong because Allah is not neutral between good and evil. Surely, if we do to others as we want done to us, there would be no need for violence as means to settle group or personal scores.

ing, especially in the face of the current security challenges, they can be addressed with prayers, dedication and honesty of purpose.

“We in the state are poised to lead with such examples. As we celebrate the end of the revelation of the Holy Qur’an today, let us sustain the security, peace and harmony that exist to take our state to the next level”.

Chime urged Nigerians to use the occasion of the celebrations to rededicate themselves to values and virtues that would promote love, tolerance, brotherhood and unity among all groups in the country.

The Governor in a goodwill message signed by his Chief Press Secretary Chukwudi Achife, hailed Muslims in the state for the contributions and sacrifices they have continued to make towards the rapid development of the state especially through their respect for the rule of law and peaceful coexistence with their neighbours and people of other religious persuasions.

“As we celebrate with our brothers and sisters of the Muslim faith on the occasion ofEid-il-Fitri, we urge all of us to use this occasion to rededicate ourselves to values and virtues that promoted love, tolerance, brothers and unity among all Nigerians,” he said.

Chief Orji speaking through his adviser on electronic media Ugochukwu Emezue urged Muslims to ensure that peace which is one of the cardinal principles of Islam continues to reflect in all their dealings even after the Ramadan period.

Mark, Obi, Arisekola preach peace

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RESIDENT of the Senate, Senator David Mark, yesterday charged Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of peaceful co-existence.

Mark who made the call in his Sallah message urged Muslims and Nigerians of other faith to spend this period to reflect on how to put an end to the nefarious activities of some people in the country.

He congratulated Muslims on the successful completion of the Ramadan fast and urged them to continue to live an exemplary life of the Holy Prophet Muhammed in order to take the nation out of the woods.

Mark in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, charged Muslims to abide by the lessons learnt during the holy month and refrain from any form of indiscipline and hatred.

He stressed that as faithful; imbibing the teachings and exhortations of Almighty Allah is the panacea to all human challenges.

His words: “Prophet Mohammed lived an exemplary life; he laid the

From: Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor, Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado Ekiti

foundation for peaceful co-existence and taught his followers the reward and benefit of mutual relationship.

“The necessity of the Holy Month of Ramadan is to afford Muslims the unique opportunity to plead for the forgiveness of their sins and get closer to Almighty Allah.

“Ramadan holds special significance for Muslims since the Holy Quran was revealed during this period.

“As a nation, this is one of our trying times; a time for sober reflection, a time to celebrate and reflect on how to foster national unity,” he said.

Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi rejoiced with the Muslims, especially those in Anambra State on the occasion of the Eid-il-Fitr celebration.

Times like this, Obi said, call for sharing of love through charity and compassion.

“It also calls for understanding

and devotion to the progress and development of our dear State. May the joy of the celebration bring us into greater love with one another,” he said.

The Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji AbdulAzeez ArisekolaAlao enjoined Muslims to remain steadfast and maintain the spirit of the fasting in their day to day activities.

Arisekola-Alao urged them to avoid all the vices that the fasting period compelled them to stay away from while they should continue to hold firmly to the life of purity as was taught by Holy Prophet Muhammed.

Alhaji Arisekola advised those masterminding the series of bombing in the country to have a rethink and know that the action is threatening the stability of the country and denting our image in the comity of nations.

He called on all to pray for peace and tranquility in the country and be honest in their dealings and relationship with one another.

The Aare Musulumi stressed that it is in an atmosphere of peace and stability that we can witness enduring progress and development in the land for the benefit of all.

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, advised Muslims to use the occasion of the celebration of Eid-il-Fitr today to pray against a development that has left every Nigeria in perpetual fear of terrorist attacks.

Hon Bamidele, former commissioner for Information in Lagos State, expressed fears concerning chances of the country’s being listed as a terrorist State by United States as a result of the recent bomb attack on the United Nations House in Abuja.

He urged security agencies to rise to the challenge and halt attacks on innocent lives.

President of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, (MSSN) Lagos State Area Unit, Alhaji Qasim Badrudeen, said that the essence of Islam is to establish peace on the surface of the earth and move man closer to his creator.

•Mark

Badrudeen in a statement yesterday in apparent disapproval of the bombing of the United Nations (UN) building in Abuja, by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect, which claimed over 20 lives, said there was no justification for any group to hide under the guise of Islam to perpetrate its own destructive agenda.

Badrudeen explained that Islam does not condone any act of violence as this goes against its essence and dictates.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

61

RAMADAN NEWS SALLAH DAY

Ramadan bonus for Kano civil servants T

HE Kano State Governor, Alhaji Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, has approved N900 million for the immediate payment of Ramadan bonus for civil servants in the state.

Kwankwaso spoke at the weekend at a dinner to break the fast with university dons and lecturers in the institutions of higher learning in the state.

The Ramadan bonus, which is popularly known as ‘kudin gero’ in Hausa language, is meant to cushion the effects of the stress occasioned by the month-long fast.

The Governor also ordered the payment of salaries for the month of August to the civil servants before the commence-

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

ment of Sallah.

He said the approval for the release of the money, was given about three weeks ago, stressing that the delay in effecting the payment was due to bureaucratic bottleneck in sorting out the authentic list of civil servants.

Kwankwaso stated that his administration had resolved to pay the salaries of civil servants at least by the 25th of every month.

The Kano state governor said he introduced Ramadan

fast incentives during his first tenure in office between 1999 and 2003, adding that it became imperative for him to reintroduce the same measure to encourage the spiritual development of the people of the state.

The move, the governor believes, would motivate the civil servants to put in their best in the service of the state.

Kwankwaso commended members of the Kano state Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, for their sense of patriotism and contributions towards the educational development of the state.

Cleric urges NJC to be just, fair

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HE criticisms trailing the National Judicial Council (NJC) purported suspension of the Appeal Court President, Justice Isa Ayo Salami have caught the attention of religious leaders.

A respected preacher and Chief Imam, Dr Abdul-Azeez Alokolodo said the decision to suspend Salami is oppressive and unfortunate for the judiciary-the last hope of common man.

Answering questions from Journalists in Abuja after delivering a Ramadan lecture organised by the Nasrul-Lahi-l-Fatih Society of Nigeria (NASFAT), Alokolodo said the development was bad for the country and surely has some political undercurrent.

According to report, eight of the 24 members of the NJC sat to take the decision against Justice Salami of which three disagreed.

Alokolodo said “The issue is a political one.

Even the National Judicial Council (NJC) has no power to sack the man. If our legal luminaries, those whom we believe are the last hope of

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

common man are now having disputes, that means the country is not safe.

“The NJC should try as much as possible to reverse itself so that upcoming generation will emulate virtues and uprightness in their conduct; this approach cannot help the judiciary.

“Since majority of the members were single-handedly appointed by the CJN as we have been told, it was not shocking that they supported him. We pray Allah will be with all of them,” he stated.

Alokolodo urged Muslims to be nice to their neighbour, kind to orphans, kinsmen, way fearers and those in debt.

Citing a saying of the Prophet Muhammad which encouraged generousity, he said “if you cooked, don’t let your neighbour perceive the aroma if you will not give him out of it”.

He urged men to provide for their families and to teach their children in line with the Quran.

Muslim health workers give free service OT less than 4,000 peoto 4,000 Lagosians ple enjoyed the free

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health service organised by the Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN), Lagos State chapter.

The free health service was at the Ramadan programme of the Muslim health workers to assist the populace and it was done all through the Sundays in Ramadan.

The service was carried out in the four areas in Lagos - Beleke Smith Central Mosque, Surulere; Baiyeku Central Mosque in Ikorodu, Idi-Araba Central Mosque and Ikoyi Prison in Ikoyi.

IMAN Lagos state chairman, Dr AbdulGaniy Labinjo, disclosed that many specialised health workers were available at all the centres to attend to the populace. They include; Ophthalmologists, hematologists, medical officers, orthopedic surgeons, pharmacists, nurses, health technicians and medical students.

Labinjo disclosed that differ-

By Risikat Ramoni

ent tests were carried out to determine the health condition of the populace. Such tests include; blood sugar and blood pressure check to monitor the diabetic and hypertensive patients, HIV test and eye check.

At the Ikoyi prison, he noted that this year, there were four HIV positive inmates, more skin problems, a rise in the ulcer patients, raised blood pressure/hypertension, eye problem and malaria.

Asides the soaps and bathroom slippers provided for the inmates, he disclosed that IMAN will supply drugs to the health centre of the prison for the diabetic, ulcer, malaria and hypertensive patient.

Glasses with plastic frame will be provided for those with eye problems.

He appealed to individuals, corporate organisations and

religious bodies to support the inmates.

In addition, the deputy Chairman of IMAN, Dr Mustapha Alimi said for the one month service, 2,500 children were de-wormed, 2,000 adults were screened for hypertension and diabetes and 400 were screened for HIV. The Muharram sisters represented by Mrs Yinka Ayanwale organised the Ikoyi prison health programme for the inmates.

Mrs Ayanwale said, “The Ramadan programme for the inmates goes beyond the health programme. We also cook Iftar to breakfast and Sahur, in the midnight, for all Muslims in Ikoyi prison throughout Ramadan.

She enjoined other Nigerians to help the prisoners so they would not become nuisance to the society when released.

Council chief feeds 500 Muslims daily

T

HE Chairman of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State, Hon Kamal Bayewu, has been feeding over 500 Muslims daily since the commencement of the holy month of Ramadhan.

The programme which forms the free Iftar (Breaking of fast) programme of his administration, takes place every evening at the council secretariat in Ajegunle.

“It is part of our contribution to make the Ramadan period easier for indigent Muslims,” the council boss said, as crowd continues to troop into the secretariat as the evening approaches in one of the Ramadahn days in the area.

After listening to sermon from various Islamic clerics invited to lecture at the Iftar programme,

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

participants are served free fruits, food and drink to break their fast.

The programme initially started with about 250 people participating on daily basis but the number keeps improving as the Ramadan period progresses.

“We started with about 250 people participating but the number has continued to grow and we are happy that the people appreciate what we are doing. If they do not appreciate it, they will not come and this has given us the confidence to do more and we know before the end of Ramadan, we are expecting the number of people participating to reach 1, 000,” the council boss said.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

NATION SPORT

PREMIERSHIP TRANSFER...

Coyle issues Cahill warning Petrov hopes to see new faces Parker closes on Spurs move

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OLTON boss Owen Coyle has warned Gary Cahill’s suitors they will only sell the defender for the right price.

The Trotters rejected a bid from Arsenal earlier this week for Cahil which Coyle described as ‘derisory’.

Arsenal are expected to come back with an improved offer for the England international before the close of the transfer window on Wednesday.

However, Coyle insists Bolton will not be forced into any sale of their star defender unless their valuation is met.

“Everybody knows Gary’s

desire to play for an elite club, with the Champions League and everything else,” noted Coyle.

“I fully endorse that but he is an outstanding man as well as a footballer.

“But I’ve had a chat with Gary about it and he knows my opinion.

“The bottom line is, we don’t have to be taking poor offers.

“I would probably want more for Gary than would be accepted but it still has to be a good offer.

“I think Gary could play for anybody, so my valuation would be higher than anybody’s.”

•Cahill

S

TILIYAN Petrov is pleased by Aston Villa’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season but hopes Alex McLeish can strengthen before Wednesday.

Luke Young became the latest player to leave Villa when he completed a move to QPR on Friday, and Petrov hopes to see reinforcements before the transfer window shuts.

The Bulgaria international said: “Luke has been a big player for us and we have seen a lot of big players going away from the club.

“But that’s the way it goes. We wish him all the best and hope he does well for QPR. “It would be nice if we could bring some more bodies. It seems like everyone is strengthening their teams.

“But we’ve still got Habib Beye, Eric Lichaj, Chris Herd, so we’ve got people to play in that position.”

Petrov has, however, taken heart from Villa’s unbeaten start to the campaign.

He said: “It is good. It is very

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•Petrov

important, every single point.

We have started well, we are still unbeaten, we are still going strongly, have only conceded one goal in three games.

“We have got a lot of things to improve in our game but they will come. It is still the early part of the season.”

Barton drops Black Cats hint

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OEY Barton has hinted that Sunderland made an approach to sign him before his decision to join

•Barton

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Queens Park Rangers.

Barton completed his free transfer to Loftus Road on Friday after a bitter end to an otherwise successful spell at Newcastle United.

Barton’s last game for the Magpies was a 1-0 success over bitter rivals Sunderland, and the combative midfielder suggests the Black Cats were one of the many clubs queuing up for his signature.

“There were other clubs interested in me but it would not be prudent to name names as I am not going to air everybody’s dirty laundry,” Barton told The People.

“Some of them I could do and some I could not. If I had gone there I would probably have been lynched.”

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linked with a move away from Old Trafford.

However, manager Ferguson insists Berbatov still has a big part to play in his plans and has praised the 30year-old for his patience.

“Dimitar has never complained one bit,” Ferguson told The People.

“A lot of strikers want to play all the time, but Berbatov has handled the situation well and hasn’t annoyed other players.

“We’ve had a few phone calls, but he’s staying here we’re not selling.

“Berbatov has been brilliant and handled the whole situation terrifically he has not complained one bit.

•Berbatov

Parker has been linked with a transfer ever since the Hammers suffered relegation last season and it seems Spurs are set to win the race for his signature.

•Parker

Boyata joins Bolton Wanderers ANCHESTER City defender Dedryck Boyata has joined Bolton Wanderers on a seasonlong loan.

The 20-year old Belgian has been looking for a way out of Etihad Stadium as he is down the order under Roberto Mancini and is now excited about developing under Owen Coyle, just like Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere and

Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the manager.

I have seen how he got the best out of young players like Jack Wilshere and Daniel Sturridge,” he told the club’s official website.

“I am only 20 years old and I am still learning and want to improve. To come to Bolton Wanderers for a loan period is a great opportunity to do that.”

Rovers keen on Solna striker

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•Hazard

Fergie rules out Berbatov exit IR Alex Ferguson has ruled out selling Dimitar Berbatov and has hailed the striker’s attitude after falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford.

The Bulgarian, United’s top scorer last season, has somehow fallen to fourth choice striker behind Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and now Danny Welbeck.

Berbatov has been on the bench for each of United’s three games this term, adding fuel to the fire that has been burning all summer.

Since being left out of the UEFA Champions League final defeat to Barcelona in May, the £30.75million signing has been heavily

OTTENHAM are poised to wrap up the signing of England midfielder Scott Parker from West Ham. The 30-year-old was not included in the West Ham squad which travelled to Nottingham Forest as the deal, believed to be worth £6million, neared a conclusion.

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce expects the move to be finalised in the next 24 hours feeling Parker was not mentally right to play against Forest.

“There are some negotiations going on and I don’t think he would be mentally right to play,” Allardyce told Sky Sports HD 1.

“It will come to fruition in the next 24 hours or so.”

Tottenham are expected to include a loan deal for one of their youngsters in the package.

Gervinho wants Hazard at Arsenal

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ERVINHO would love to be joined at Arsenal by his former Lille teammate Eden Hazard.

Arsenal may struggle to meet Lille’s valuation, but Gervinho has made it clear he would love to see Hazard follow him to the Emirates.

Gervinho said: “I haven’t spoken to Wenger about

Hazard, but Eden was my companion at Lille and if Arsenal can complete the deal then I’ll be content.

“Wenger has had some difficult moments and each match comes with big pressure. But the coach is one of the best and I’m convinced we will find a solution to the situation.”

Weiss set for Espanyol move

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SPANYOL are closing in on the signing of Manchester City winger Vladimir Weiss, according to reports in Spain.

The 21-year-old has attracted a lot of interest from several Spanish sides and Wigan after his firstteam chances at City appear limited.

Skysports.com also reported how the Slovak midfielder had earlier confirmed he would not be moving to Dynamo Kiev, despite apparent interest from the Ukraine outfit.

Catalan newspaper Sport said that Weiss, who has enjoyed loan spells at Rangers and Bolton since joining City in 2006, is expected to have a medical in Spain on Monday.

The Spaniards have also

been linked to several other Premier League stars including Tottenham duo Giovani dos Santos and Roman Pavlyuchenko as well as Liverpool’s Christian Poulsen.

LACKBURN Rovers have given a strong hint that they are interested in signing striker Mohamed Bangura from Swedish club AIK Solna.

The Sierre Leone international has been strongly linked with a move to Scottish giants Celtic and, according to Aftonbladet, has applied for a visa to travel to Scotland to complete his transfer.

However, Blackburn’s head of scouting team in Scandinavia has now indicated that the English club are keen on the 22-year-old as well.

“Blackburn have been looking at him since the beginning of the season,” Rolf Andersson told Aftonbladet.

“Things have happened lately with new owners, new organisation and new priorities. But now the interest is big again.”

Andersson, though, was quick to add that Blackburn have not yet decided to sign Bangura for sure but stated that his performance against Syrianska on Sunday will not affect their judgement.

“I know that people are on

their way to Sweden,” he said.

“But I want to add that nothing is decided or confirmed. In this world things happen so fast that I don’t know if they will come before I see them.

“I can’t confirm that someone is coming from England or what contact he has with AIK. They haven’t decided on a meeting.

“It (the final deal) has nothing to do with his performance in the game (against Syrianska).”

Grygera set for Fulham

F •Weiss

•Bangura

ULHAM are closing in on the signing of Czech Republic defender Zdenek Grygera from Juventus.

Juventus are willing to offload Grygera as he does not figure in Antonio Conte’s long-term plans in Turin.

Fulham have moved quickly to land the versatile Grygera with the 31-year-old able to play anywhere across the back.

Grygera is expected to undergo a medical in London this weekend and the former Ajax man is excited about making the move to Craven Cottage.

“Hopefully it will come out

well. I take Fulham as a big call and will experience another top league,” Grygera told CTK. “The Premier League is probably the most followed competition at the moment and I am tempted by the prospect of being a part of it.

“This spell can teach me a lot as a footballer as well as a human being.

“I will come to know a different mentality and learn another language. The same goes for all my family.

“It is not easy for me to be leaving Juventus. Juventus is Juventus and, moreover, I have come to love Italy.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

63

NATION SPORT MADAGASCAR VERSUS NIGERIA

2011 HOMELESS WORLD CUP

Nigeria finishes 7th

Bad pitch not an issue—Siasia H

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UPER Eagles chief coach, Samson Siasia is not bothered about the state of the turf in the stadium in Antananarivo where the Eagles will play this Sunday.

There are concerns that the bulk of the invited players who play in Europe may find it difficult to adjust to the poor playing surface expected in Antananarivo. Nigeria takes on the Barea of Madagascar in a Nations Cup qualifier.

'We have no choice but to play on it. It is football. As a player you have to adapt to any pitch that you find yourself,' said the coach.

Reacting further, Siasia jok-

From Ejiro Femi-Babafemi, Abuja ingly said a tractor may accompany the team to clear the pitch. 'Perhaps we can consider that,' he told SportingLife.

'That is why we are going on time so that we can acclimatise before the game,' he added.

Last week, a damming verdict was brought back by a two-man inspection team that was sent by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to inspect facilities at the stadium in the Indian Ocean country.

The team led by ex-international and member of the NFF technical committee, Victor Ikpeba condemned the surface of the pitch on which a dead animal was seen.

Taiwo to return against Barca —Agent

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ROCKED Nigeria defender, Taye Taiwo, could make his official Milan debut against Barcelona at the Nou Camp on September 13.

It was earlier reported that the former Gabros man would be out of action for one month, after spraining his ankle against Juventus last Sunday at the Luigi Berlusconi tournament. But his agent, Fabio Parisi, has clarified to the microphones of milannews.it

OT favourites for the Homeless World Cup trophy Nigeria, finished in the 7th position at the 9th edition of the World Cup which closed in Paris on Sunday at the Champ de Mars, under the shadow of the Eiffel tower.

Nigeria, led by Coach Ndubisi Duruna and assisted

by Olumide Ajayi, lost it quarter final match against Mexico (eventual finalist) 3 – 4 on Saturday.

In the placement match versus Ukraine, Nigeria, Captained by Abubakar Haruna, conceded an early goal to Ukraine but team motivator Adebiyi Sunday restored parity. Ukraine went back into the lead and once again, Adebiyi Sunday was available to put Nigeria back in contention, this time round with a quality assist tucked in by Afolabi Michael. Goalkeeper for the side, Ibrahim Kujenya made spirited efforts to keep Nigeria in contention with some brilliant heroic saves.

2-2 it ended at half time and at resumption of play, Uzoma Okafor shot Nigeria

the situation of his client. ‘’After the game with Juventus, Dr. Tavani was very skeptical of Taiwo’s condition.

After two days, however, the ankle is already deflated and recovery work proceeds at full speed. ‘’It is unlikely the player can be summoned for the match against Lazio at home, but he could be called to account in the Champions League with Barcelona at Camp Nou, ‘’ says Fabio Parisi.

• Taiwo

• Siasia

into the lead for the first time.

Afolabi Micheal made his goal tally in the math a brace and in a twinkle of an eye, his hattrick beckoned and finalised.

Uzoma added another to make it his second and Nigeria led by seven goals to two.

In the dying moments of the game, Ukraine scored their third goal, but this was not enough to deny Nigeria a seventh place finish.

The high point of Nigeria’s participation is the nomination of Goalkeeper Ibrahim Kujenya as one of the best four goalkeepers of the tournament.

Mexico’s Pepe won the award while Nigeria’s Kujenya Ibrahim was voted runners up.

The team left Paris for Lagos via Frankfurt on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, Scotland were crowned Champions for the second time after a pulsating final against Mexico attended by dignitaries including Lillian Thuram and Emmanuel Petit.

The next edition of the Homeless World Cup will be held in Mexico City in 2012.

Falcons paid N10,000 as camping allowance

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ACH member of the women's national team that was in camp for last Saturday's Olympic qualifier against Cameroon was given N10,000 as total daily allowance for one month.

They were in Abuja for four weeks. Nigeria won 2-1 in the first leg.

A competent source revealed to NationSport that the amount came as a shock to the players who were expecting a reasonable amount from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

'Being the senior women's team they should have been paid better. Eagles are paid 100USD as daily allowance.

So what is N10,000 if you are to compare? It is nothing. That was quite unfair,' said the source.

NFF spokesman, Ademola

•For one month •Collecated 1,000USD as winning bonus From Ejiro Femi-Babafemi, Abuja Olajire could neither confirm nor deny its veracity when contacted. 'In all sincerity l do not know how much they were receiving in camp,' he told NationSport.

But for the victory, it was gathered that the players received 1,000USD each (N167,000) while the chief coach Eucharia Uche got double.

Last year four players dropped from the U-20 women national team ahead of the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Germany were paid N13,500 as camping allowance.

Up till now the coaches who

guided the U-17 and U-20 women's teams to the various championships last year are still been owed salaries.

Same with Eucharia who has not been paid for close to two years.

• Eucharia

Wolfsburg joins scramble for ERSATILE defender Ogbonna Angelo Ogbonna

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has a new suitor in Germany. According to Tuttomercatoweb, Wolfsburg wants Ogbonna to replace Simon Kjaer, who is close to a move to AS Roma.

Torino president, Urbano Cairo, values Ogbonna at 14 million euros, which could

be a stumbling block for the deal to materialize. However, both clubs may agree on a transfer fee of between 11-12 million euros.

Ogbonna does not want to play in the Serie B this season.

Last year, TSG Hoffenheim were rumored to be interested in his services.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net

TUESDAY,AUGUST 30, 2011 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL. 7

NO.1,868

TOMORROW IN THE NATION

‘By and large, it is clear beyond any reasonable doubt that there are some people in Nigeria today who are averse to peace in DELE AGEKAMEH the country’

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

“M

ATTERS miscellaneous,” dedicated followers of this column will recall, is the rubric I patented back in my Rutam House years for dealing in short takes and broad strokes with the glut of occurrences that the public affairs analyst must attend to, lest the usual suspects feel neglected.

What has been happening lately in Nigeria warrants nothing less than a resort to that expedient, starting with former military president General Ibrahim Babangida’s grand entry into the conclave of septuagenarians.

The last thing most people would want to do on a day like that is to settle old scores, stir things up, or indulge in any act that could detract from the joyful sobriety of the occasion. But Babangida being Babangida, he chose the occasion to launch a contumacious tirade against his former commander-in chief, General Olusegun Obasanjo, and to pronounce him a comprehensive failure.

Okay, Babangida did nothing of the sort on his birthday anniversary. He had only delivered himself of those remarks in interviews published on that day. The important thing is that he did make the remarks.

Not since one-time Lagos State military governor Navy Captain (as he then was) Mike Akhigbe presumed to lecture his former commander-in-chief -the same Obasanjo - on patriotism has Nigeria witnessed such a departure from military propriety.

Even Obasanjo, was taken aback by the ferocity of the assault. For it was so uncharacteristic of Babangida who, give him his due, cannot be accused of having a thin skin. And it came literally from nowhere, for there was no immediate cause, no immediate occasion for it.

Obasanjo answered back with measured restraint but that only made matters worse.

Babangida, per his media assistant Kassim Afegbua, went ballistic, throwing everything at his former boss with tabloid scurrility, in the process giving a whole new meaning to the term “hitting below the belt.”

At first I thought Afegbua must have exceeded his brief; that Babangida would never engage in that kind of thing, not even under the greatest provocation. I thought that by getting his media aide to issue the statement, he was giving himself room to deny authorising it. But instead of denying it, he repeated the offence by announcing that when next he met Obasanjo, he would “embrace” him. Not salute him.

The two generals will sort themselves out and make up somehow. I hear First Lady Dame (Dr) Patience Jonathan has offered to stage a summit on military etiquette for retired generals at the Obudu Mountain Retreat Meanwhile, someone should tell Kassim

OLATUNJI DARE

AT HOME ABROAD olatunji.dare@thenationonlineng.net

Matters miscellaneous

•Obasanjo

Afegbua that there is life after Babangida or any principal for that matter.

It is something of an irony that former vice president Admiral Augustus Aikhomu departed this world the very day Babangida turned 70 and was at once commanding and basking in all the media attention. News of his passing almost became a footnote to the Babangida’s birthday. It was as if, in death as in the last stretch of his military career, Aikhomu was fated to dwell in the shadow of his former principal.

Everyone now remembers the gruff mariner as avuncular, kind, generous, patriotic, modest to a fault, soccer-loving, a champion of the rule of law, an apostle of democracy, a defender of human rights, etc, etc. No one will begrudge him his belated canonisation.

Aikhomu was a journalist’s delight. No fancy footwork, unlike his principal, no willful obfuscation, no contrived candour.

He called things as he saw them at his Friday press briefings, famously dismissing the

RIPPLES

HARDBALL

ASSESS ME AFTER ONE YEAR, saysJonathan

•For comments, send SMS to 08057634061

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

UN teaches Nigeria lesson in resoluteness

S

...Never worry sir...273 DAYS TO GO

•Babangida

officials at the IMF and the World Bank who were forever issuing damning reports on the Nigerian economy as “small boys.” I wonder what he thought of the fact that one of those officials now runs the economy as a super-minister.

It remains only to add that Aikhomu was also a first-rate social theorist. It is to him we owe the seminal distinction between mere misapplication of public funds – such as building a palace for yourself with money earmarked for a library – and misappropriation of public funds, which is nothing but plain, old-fashioned embezzlement.

By that formulation, the one is merely regrettable. It is the other that merits penal sanctions.

In these days when bloodletting on a horrific scale is just around the corner from a Boko Haram cell, what will it take for the authorities to declare that enough is already far too much? Outrage piles on frightful outrage, and all the authorities can do is to make yet another lame pledge that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

It has been like that since the bombing of Eagle Square in Abuja marking 50 years of Nigeria’s independence. Banks, police stations, even the national headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force and most recently the Abuja complex housing the offices of the United Nations have come under Boko Haram’s murderous assault in a species of urban terrorism rooted not so much in alienation and deprivation as in religious fanaticism. The organisation itself has acknowledged that much in a statement claiming responsibility for the attack on the UN offices that claimed more than 20 lives.

Few arrests have been made in the investigation of these terroristic acts. There have been no credible prosecutions, only perfunctory declarations that the perpetrators will be tracked down and punished. Far from being deterred, the perpetrators strike at their next target with insolent ease and walk away.

The Federal Government has compounded failure of intelligence and failure

of policing with failure of will to confront the terrorists.

Amidst the despair loosed on the land by Boko Haram, there is something to cheer about. I have in mind the game-changing news from the Kwara State capital, Ilorin, that crude oil has been discovered in commercial quantities in Aran Orin, in the Igbomina country. This is the most dramatic piece of news to come out of Ilorin since a would-be carjacker turned into a goat some two years ago as irate residents closed in on him.

If the announcement had been made by a person of lesser consequence, it would have been greeted with great skepticism. But it came from the state governor himself, His Excellency Abdulfatah Ahmed. Excellent people don’t lie.

Residents woke up one morning to find their farmlands swamped by some brackish, slimy stuff, just like that. They alerted the authorities, who immediately dispatched a team of crackerjack geologists to the area. After the most rigorous tests, the geologists confirmed that the substance was crude oil of the finest grade, the kind they call Bonny Light in the business.

Shouldn’t they in deference to the locale call this find Aran Orin Light instead? If that seems not too easy on the tongue, they can call it Kwara Light.

You can scoff to your hearts’ content all ye doubters who know not that oil flows in mysterious ways, as a historian of the Zaria School once famously postulated.

It could well be that, back in the Paleolithic Age, or more likely later in the Mesozoic Age, a huge mass of animal and human waste being swept by the Niger and Benue toward the Atlantic coast – the very stuff of which the oil deposits in the Delta is made – broke off and found its way, through some tributary that has since vanished, to Aran Orin.

Then, through a combination of metamorphic and environmental forces, the material slowly disintegrated into crude oil that accumulated in huge basins, gushing to the surface in Aran Orin when those forces could no longer contain it.

As a rule Nigerian men never claim the state of origin of their wives as theirs. Still less do they claim the home towns of their wives as theirs.

I am set to break this rule by claiming Edidi, where my wife was born, as my home town and setting up legal residence there. I have been reliably informed that the town, 30 miles removed, is standing on the edge of the oil basin centred on Aran Orin, and that my wife’s family house may literally be capping a gusher.

This time, I am not going to be left out of the action.

O far, we have not heard an inspiring philosophical cum political speech from the Nigerian government over the repeated acts of terrorism perpetrated by faceless and extremist groups. We have also not heard a concise elucidation of what the government hopes to do about the continuing affront to its power and prestige.

Indeed, we may even be a little confused about whether the government really appreciates the weight of the crisis it faces over the bold and open acts of terrorism bringing Abuja, the federal capital, to its knees. Instead, all we see is a government that is seemingly reluctant to further provoke the terrorists, as if the extremist groups care what the government does or doesn’t do, or whether it demonstrates bravery or cowardice in the face of provocation. Now that the most dominant terrorist group in the country, Boko Haram, has internationalised its activities by bombing the United Nations (UN) office in Abuja, we

hope the government will be more assertive both in condemning the heinous act and in determining firmly what to do about it.

However, unlike the bloodied and bowed Nigeria, the UN is showing greater resoluteness in the face of the terror attack on its premises. We should borrow a leaf from it. Addressing the press after inspecting the bombed building, and in a tone distinctly presidential and reassuring , the UN Deputy Secretary General, Dr Asha-Rose Migiri, declared that the UN would not be deterred.

And then putting the matter brilliantly in perspective, she further asserted, “…This attack is an attack on communities. It is an attack on families. It is not all about the UN. So, we will never be deterred. We will move on.” Such a declaration could only have come from the soul; from someone quite clear about the issues involved. Dr Migiri probably restrained herself from exceeding diplomatic boundaries. Otherwise, from the manner she spoke, it is not difficult to guess she would

have gone on to denounce the bombers and clearly tell them they would be hunted to the ends of the earth.

What is most important and worth recommending about Migiri’s press briefing is that she communicated to all of us, without any obfuscation, that the terror attack was insufficient to derail the UN from its goals.

But similar terror attacks, since they began in earnest many months ago, have weakened the resolve of our government and put it in a suffocating and embarrassing quandary over whether to negotiate or to keep on fighting. Whatever the government of President Goodluck Jonathan does, it must recognise that the world will be watching. If it wants to negotiate, let it do so heartily, in spite of the terrorists’ shifting conditions.

Better to be condemned for foolishness than to be assailed for indolence. But if it wants to fight, let it do so courageously and intelligently. The president would be unkind to keep us guessing for four years; he should let the other shoe drop.

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